Fairbanks gravel pit permit goes before planning commission with staff approval recommendation

Staff recommended approval of a seasonal gravel pit proposed by Ed's Trucking LLC between Van Horn Road and Mitchell Expressway when the Fairbanks North Star Borough Planning Commission met June 23, but the available record does not document whether the commission voted to approve the conditional use permit or held it for further consideration.

Agustin Guevara, owner of Ed's Trucking LLC, filed the permit request April 14 and appeared before the commission that evening. The proposed 10-acre pit spans Government Lots 6, 7, 9, and 10 east of Conger Street in a Light Industrial zone. If approved, it would allow Ed's Trucking to operate a seasonal gravel source for its own trucking business from May through October, with up to three employees onsite at any given time.

Two of the four lots fall within an AE flood zone under FEMA mapping. The remaining lots are in the X protected-by-levee zone. Staff added a condition requiring a floodplain permit and certificate of compliance before extraction begins on the AE-zoned parcels, a requirement that could delay the start of work there. Before any operations begin, the applicant must also obtain required permits from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation, and the Alaska Department of Natural Resources.

Staff noted that the closest residential zoning district is more than 2,000 feet away, off Davis Road to the north, a separation staff cited in finding the use compatible with the area. Surrounding parcels are industrial or vacant.

Other conditions shape how the site would operate. Truck traffic is capped at 25 trips per day. Hours are restricted to 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Stored cars must be removed from Government Lot 9. The pit must be gated and locked at the driveway access point, with a berm constructed around it to mitigate noise and dust. A 15-foot buffer is required from property lines where lots are not under continuous ownership, and a 25-foot buffer from the median high-water mark of the slough protects the adjacent waterway. Guevara must also maintain Fifth Wheel Street, the access road, with a minimum of 2 inches of compacted gravel in accordance with borough standards.

The site is served by the University Volunteer Fire Department, Golden Valley Electric Association, and the Alaska State Troopers.

The Community Planning Department mailed 73 Dear Property Owner notices May 22 and received no inquiries about the proposed use before the staff report was published.