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Tuesday, Jul. 07, 2009

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Pasco council OKs hot-mix asphalt plant

By Dalina Castellanos, Herald staff writer

Pasco city officials approved a special permit Monday allowing Central Pre-Mix to operate a hot-mix asphalt plant in west Pasco.

The plans have been before the city for years. The Pasco Planning Commission advised the city council to reject the application in 2006 because it conflicted with the residential development of the surrounding area.

The company appealed the decision, and Superior Court Judge Robert Swisher sent the case back to the city to reconsider the evidence and new information from the company.

The commission approved a heavily revised application in May.

"You make the best decision you can with the information you have available," said Gary Crutchfield, city manager for Pasco, pointing to the large pile of papers containing the background and research the planning commission provided council members.

"As arduous as the process was, it resulted in a much better proposal," he said.

The permit includes 21 conditions Central Pre-Mix has to follow, including the development and implementation of an air and odor program, modeled after federal, state and local regulations.

According to council documents, the plant's location at 11919 Harris Road is near residential zoning, subjecting it to the city's nighttime noise limits. A 15-foot-high berm on the south side of the plant will add extra sound buffering.

The company also agreed to contribute $250,000 to improving the intersection of Harris Road and Road 100 to better handle increased traffic.

City council members voted 5-1 to approve the special permit after a closed-record hearing. Councilman Al Yenney removed himself from the panel before the hearing because he was exposed to information prior to the vote.

Councilman Tom Larsen voted against the permit, stating he felt the toxins released by the plant should be regulated on a local level, which Crutchfield said the city doesn't have the capability to do.

Larsen said he was opposed to making a decision without knowing what the levels of toxins were.

The plant's permit will expire in 2025, with a public hearing scheduled in five years to assess its impact on the community at that point.

Pasco city attorney Leland Kerr said the permit could be appealed within 21 days based on the information presented by the planning committee.



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