Public Hearing Scheduled to Discuss Cottonwood Gravel Pit Access

DEER LODGE – The Powell County Planning Board will hold a public hearing to discuss a potential revision to the haul route of the Cottonwood Gravel Pit as proposed by Deer Creek Excavating, LLC. The hearing will be held July 12 at 1 p.m. at the Meeting Room at William K. Kohrs Memorial Library in Deer Lodge.

The Planning Board approved the request to use Evergreen Drive as a haul route for Double Arrow Ranch projects in January 2018 with the stipulation that Missoula County, Double Arrow Land Owners Association and Deer Creek Excavating enter into a Road Use Agreement.

Following a public hearing May 10, the Missoula County Commissioners voted unanimously to not sign the Road Use Agreement on the recommendation of legal counsel that they could not sign the agreement because they have no authority to restrict or limit access.

Deer Creek Excavating requested that Condition #3, of their approved Conditional Use Permit, be revised to allow them to utilize Evergreen Drive for projects located within the Double Arrow Ranch, without Missoula County’s involvement. As it currently stands, Deer Creek is only permitted to haul along Cottonwood Lakes Road.

Following public comment and discussion by the Planning Board, the board has several options:

• The Board may deny the request by Deer Creek thereby retaining Condition #3 and make no changes to the CUP and the haul route will remain along Cottonwood Lakes Road.

• The Board can vote to eliminate Condition #3 as the petitioners requested in January and permit them to utilize Evergreen Drive without restrictions.

• The Board may revise Condition #3 to permit Deer Creek Excavating to utilize Evergreen Green Drive as a means of ingress and egress and enable the Double Arrow Landowners Association and Deer Creek to implement the agreed upon Road Use Agreement.

Those interested in commenting are invited to attend the hearing. Comments can also be submitted to Powell County Planner Carl Hamming at chamming@powellcountymt.gov or call 406-846-9729 prior to the hearing.