An effort to stop a property owner from mining gravel near University Place’s southern gateway has stalled.
The city’s request to rezone two properties near Bridgeport Way and 67th Avenue is on indefinite hold while officials wait for more information from landowner Brian McGuire, City Attorney Steve Victor said last week.
McGuire, a University Place developer, previously agreed to forgo his right to mine the properties if the city would rezone them for commercial use. But neighbors and members of the city planning commission have raised concerns about how McGuire would develop the properties and how he would reduce the effects of light, noise and other urban impacts.
City officials now want to know the specific uses and mitigation steps McGuire is exploring.
“We are not going to continue … without that information,” Victor said.
Mayor Debbie Klosowski, who lives across the street from one of the properties, had earlier directed staff to bring the rezone to a City Council vote by the end of the year, before she leaves office.
Klosowski has said she gave the direction out of courtesy for the property owner.
Now both sides agree it won’t come before the council this year.
McGuire had requested that the city apply for a commercial rezone because his past efforts were unsuccessful and he wanted some sign that the council supports it.
The city has not withdrawn the rezone application, but Victor said the next step now belongs to the developer.
McGuire said in an interview that he will be traveling for several weeks and would “pin something down and see if I can meet what they want” once he returns to work after the first of the year.
In the meantime, he’s pressing the city to issue mining permits to allow him to extract more than 221,000 cubic yards of aggregate from the properties.
McGuire fought the city for years in court to retain his mining rights, and the state Supreme Court ruled in his favor in 2001.
He said the mining would take 18 to 25 years, and he said he’s prepared to go forward with that work.
Victor said the city is moving ahead with issuing the mining permits, but McGuire must either provide additional information or revise his applications because the work as designed doesn’t meet city rules for setbacks and slope angle.
Victor said it’s unlikely the city would issue the permits this year unless McGuire quickly provides the information. McGuire said it will take “15 minutes of work” and “one comment from a geologist” to satisfy the city’s request; he suggested officials are attempting to draw out the process because they don’t want him to mine his land.
Christian Hill: 253-274-7390
christian.hill@thenewstribune.com
Twitter: @TNTchill
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