Post Falls council expected to support surface mining request

POST FALLS - The Post Falls City Council tonight is expected to support a conditional-use permit request to the county to operate a restricted surface mine on a 48-acre site along Pleasant View Road.

Craig Singer, the applicant representing property owner Walter Singer, said the intent is to make the site, also bordered by Yukon and Lark avenues, more marketable.

"The intent is not to create an ongoing commercial mine or gravel pit," the request states. "The (mining) activities are anticipated to begin upon issuance of the CUP and will be completed within three to four months."

The property is within Post Falls' area of city impact, so the county is seeking input from the city.

Singer is proposing to have 63,000 cubic yards of topsoil stripped and stockpiled on the site and about 30,000 cubic yards of oversized boulders stockpiled on the site for future use. The remaining 175,000 cubic yards of material will be removed from the site.

Equipment would access the site from Pleasant View Road. Some noise will be created as a result of the operation, and the site will be watered down to limit dust.

The city staff's proposed letter of support states the operation needs to comply with load limits and that the roadways should be monitored for distress. The city is not responsible for any repairs needed as a result of the operation.

There are no public hearings tonight. The meeting starts at 6 at City Hall, 408 N. Spokane St.