Concrete Nor'west Seeks Approval for New Gravel Mine Near Grip Road

Concrete Nor'west has filed a proposal to operate a gravel mine near Grip Road in Skagit County. The plan involves removing gravel from the site using trucks and trailers. This material would then be moved to market or to one of the company's nearby facilities for further processing. The site is reached via an existing private gravel road that connects to Grip Road. It sits within the Rural Resource-Natural Resource Land zone and falls under the mineral resource overlay.

The application process began with a Special Use Permit application labeled PL16-0097, which was received by Planning and Development Services on March 7, 2016. A letter of completeness was issued on the same day. In the following months, the Washington State Department of Ecology sent a letter to the company on June 1, 2016. A SEPA Mitigated Determination of Non-Significance was issued on May 26, 2016. A Notice of Development Application was published in the public record on December 15, 2016. A Planning and Development Services staff report dated September 12, 2016, outlined initial findings. The company submitted a Preliminary Traffic Information Plan on February 8, 2016, and a Hydrology Assessment on August 21, 2015.

The review process has been marked by repeated exchanges between the company and county officials. On March 14, 2017, Planning and Development Services sent a letter to Concrete Nor'west requesting more information. The company responded with a package on May 16, 2017. Another request for information led to a response on September 21, 2017. The county responded to a letter from the company on October 24, 2017. In February 2018, the company submitted an Amended Sand and Gravel General Permit and an Amended Special Use Permit form. A Notice of Decision was issued on April 10, 2018. An application denial for failure to timely submit requested information was dated April 5, 2018.

Public involvement has been extensive over the past decade. Comments were received and logged in batches, including those received through January 31, 2018, March 31, 2018, June 1, 2018, September 6, 2018, and December 31, 2018. A forum recorded by Central Samish Valley Neighbors on June 10, 2020, was part of the public record. The company submitted documents to Planning and Development Services from January 1, 2019, to June 1, 2020. A video from a neighbor forum was included in the file. The site is located near the Samish River, and drawings indicating a 300-foot buffer from the river were submitted on July 31, 2018.

The project has faced legal challenges at multiple stages. A Hearing Examiner's ruling on an appeal was issued on October 17, 2019. A prosecutor's office letter was sent to the Hearing Examiner on August 7, 2019. A Hearing Examiner Memorandum was dated March 29, 2019. Cougar Peak LLC filed a reconsideration request labeled PL24-0058 and an appeal labeled PL24-0045. Central Samish Valley Neighbors filed a reconsideration request labeled PL24-0061 and an appeal labeled PL24-0064. A Notice of Decision for Concrete NorWest PL16-0097, PL16-0098, and PL22-0142 was issued in 2024.

Recent decisions have addressed specific aspects of the application. A Notice of Decision was published on June 13, 2024. A decision regarding the Special Use Permit and SEPA MDNS Appeal was issued on June 11, 2024. A Hearing Examiners Final Decision was issued on February 1, 2024. The company submitted a Critical Areas Assessment on December 13, 2021. An Impact Assessment and Mitigation Plan was filed in December 2021. A Geo-Tech Report responding to the Skagit County Geologic Hazard Requirement was filed on December 16, 2021. A Fugitive Dust Control Plan was posted on April 4, 2022. Site Plan and Reclamation Maps were also posted on that date.

The company has submitted various technical reports as part of its application. These include a Cultural Resource Assessment from March 9, 2017, and a Fish and Wildlife Site Assessment from August 20, 2015. A Hydrogeologic Site Assessment was filed on August 21, 2015. A Timber Management Plan was submitted on November 5, 2009. A Traffic Addendum report was filed on November 30, 2016. A Bridge Load Rating memorandum was submitted on April 13, 2017. The company has provided updated noise and vibration studies on multiple dates, including July 18, 2018, November 21, 2018, and October 7, 2019. A Grip Road Mine Traffic Impact Analysis is part of the record. The site includes a private internal road for which as-built drawings were submitted on September 13, 2018.