Correspondence Packet 1 of 2
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CORRESPONDENCE PACKET 1 OF 2 CUP CASE – KATHLEEN WATTERS HEARING DATE: 6/11/2020 CORRESPONDENCE PACKET INDEX Name Page # Michael Hart 1 Paula Moon 2 Julie Bartikoski Coleman 3 W.J. McCabe / Izaak Walton League of America 4-7 Cloquet River WRAPS letter 8-14 Izaak Walton League of America to Tom 15-18 Estabrooks Lisa Hoffman 19-20 Timothy Resberg 21 John Bartikoski 22-24 Aaron Resberg 25 Katherine Resberg 26 * Please note that the Cloquet River WRAPS plan is included as a separate attachment due to its size. From: Jennifer Bourbonais To: Michelle Claviter-Tveit; Angela Lepak Cc: Mark Lindhorst Subject: Fwd: Borrow pit, PIN:640-0010-05360 Date: Friday, June 5, 2020 10:25:58 AM For the file and fyi. Thanks, JB Sent from my iPad Begin forwarded message: From: Mike Hart <[email protected]> Date: June 4, 2020 at 2:04:21 PM CDT To: Jennifer Bourbonais <[email protected]> Subject: Borrow pit, PIN:640-0010-05360 WARNING: External email. Please verify sender before opening attachments or clicking on links. I'm writing this email to support the establishment of a gravel pit by Kathleen Watters. My property is the closest to where the pit is to be established. I have discussed the pit extensively with both Kathleen and her husband Willie. Thus far any issues have been addressed to both our satisfaction. Should the Commission have any questions for me I will be available by telephone, 763-245-7268. Thank You, Michael Hart, Capt. (ret) 1 Dear Planning Commission: My name is Paula Moon. I am writing in response to express my strong opposition to the conditional use permit requested by Ms. Kathleen Watters. My family has owned the property, called Big Pine, directly adjacent to hers on Three Lakes Road for nearly six decades. Over the 56 years, our family has raised three generations of children here, teaching them the joys of exploring the outdoors and connecting them to nature. It has been a sanctuary and a safe haven. It has been a place of peace and serenity, an escape from the stress and noise of everyday life in addition to hosting family reunions for nearly 25 years. I grew up in Duluth but currently reside in a densely populated area where there is a lot of traffic and noise. I regularly drive three hours to come to the cabin and leave the chaos of city living to relax and recharge. My siblings from Duluth and their families frequently spend quality time together here as well. Allowing a general purpose borrow pit, in such close proximity to our property, is an affront to everything we hold dear about our cabin. The stark contrast of dump truck traffic, rumbling engines, back-up beepers, screeching breaks and slamming tailgates, destroys the sacred harmony of the Northwoods. In addition, I have concerns regarding adverse effects on the area’s natural resources. I am adamantly opposed to this project and respectfully ask that you reject it and thereby protect the sanctity of our land. I appreciate your support and consideration. Sincerely, Paula Moon Property Owner 2 From: Jennifer Bourbonais To: Angela Lepak; Mark Lindhorst Subject: FW: Letter against application for a conditional use permit Date: Monday, June 8, 2020 8:09:34 AM For the file and fyi. Thanks. From: Robert Coleman [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Monday, June 8, 2020 6:58 AM To: Jennifer Bourbonais <[email protected]> Subject: Letter against application for a conditional use permit WARNING: External email. Please verify sender before opening attachments or clicking on links. Applicant: Kathleen Watters Property: SW 1/4 of SE 1/4 S33,T54 N, R 14 W My name is Julie Bartikoski Coleman and I am a shareholder in Big Pine Development. Big Pine is located directly across Three Lakes Road from Mrs. Watters property. My late father John W. Bartikoski purchased the property we’ve known as Big Pine before I was born. My father often told myself and my siblings he purchased the property so we would always have a place to visit away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. For the past 54 years, Big Pine served often as my weekend get-away place where as a young girl I learned to catch tadpoles and sunfish, learned how to swim and enjoy the quiet that escapes so many others. After joining the military and marrying another service member I often lived far away from Duluth and my beloved Big Pine but always found time to visit during the summer. I’ve now raised three adult children who learned many of the same lessons I did as a child during our annual summer visits to Big Pine. I now have grandchildren who I plan to teach those same lessons to at Big Pine. I fully understand the rights of individuals to improve property such as what Mrs. Watters plans to do but I have concerns about the environmental impact as well as the impact it will have on the peace and solitude me and my family have enjoyed for so many decades. I have confidence the Planning Commission will ensure the creek adjacent to Mrs. Watters property which flows through Big Pine will not be impacted by her plans. Hearing trucks hauling material to and from Mrs. Watters property may be a slight nuisance to the peace and serenity we’ve enjoyed over the years but I have no doubt adding a rock crusher to the equation only escalates the noise and directly impacts my families right to enjoy the peace and solitude we’ve come to know for more than 5 decades. I also have concerns the increased traffic and noise could negatively impact the overall value of our property. I respectfully request the Planning Commission consider my request to deny this permit or at a minimum to remove the rock crusher from the permit. Sincerely, Julie M. 3 W.J. MCCABE (DULUTH) CHAPTER IZAAK WALTON LEAGUE OF AMERICA P. O. BOX 3063. • DULUTH, MN 55803 June 7, 2020 Jenny Bourbonais St. Louis County Land Use Planning Manager St. Louis County Government Services 320 W. 2nd Street Duluth, MN 55802 Subject: Kathleen Watters Gravel Pit - Conditional Use Permit (CUP) Application Dear Jenny, The W. J. McCabe (Duluth) Chapter of the Izaak Walton League of America (Ikes/IWLA) wishes to thank you for this opportunity to comment on this CUP application. The Ikes began as a conservation organization with the goal of defending the Mississippi River from pollution, and proposed developments that would have forever destroyed its natural habitats. The result of the Ikes campaign was the creation of the federal Upper Mississippi River Wildlife and Fish Refuge, which now stretches from the south end of Lake Pepin, downstream to mid-Iowa. We have for almost a century been defenders of our soils, air, woods, waters, and wildlife. We have several concerns with the proposed project as outlined in the CUP application. Our primary concern is over the long-term health of Boulder Creek and the designated trout stream to the east of the project site, Humphrey Creek. Related to this project proposal, the Ikes and the Minnesota Environmental Partnership (MEP), a week ago submitted public comments on the Cloquet River Watershed Restoration and Protection Strategy (WRAPS) draft plan (see attached documents). While the WRAPS plan looks at the entire watershed, which would include this proposed project, it is recognized that each stream adds to the cumulative health or degradation of the watershed. The interagency WRAPS Core (planning) Team, which included representatives from St. Louis County, acknowledged that there is a lack of scientific study on the impacts of gravel pit operations on the health of the biotic community in adjacent coldwater stream habitats. The WRAPS plan stated that these potential impacts need to be studied (see highlighted text on pages 41 – Table 13; page 48 - Figure 29 mapping coldwater streams and proximity to gravel pits; page 57 – Strategy; page 62 - BMP). 4 In commenting, the Ikes and MEP doubled down on that idea, agreeing that the potential impacts of pit operations on nearby coldwater streams may indeed have negative impacts, and MEP called for a two-year moratorium on the issuing of any new gravel pit permits until the study is completed. (see highlighted text on pg. 4 of the MEP comment letter). In this case, our concerns range from altered groundwater discharge volumes flowing into the coldwater stream, and whether the groundwater temperatures might be warmer going into the stream as a result of pit operations. With warming temperatures as a result of climate change, many coldwater streams are already being pushed to the point where species requiring cold waters are no longer able to survive. The ponding and warming of water at the pit operation could be a real threat to the biotic stream community that simply cannot tolerate even more warming. Additionally, since the applicant for this project has stated that they intend to use chloride for dust abatement, we can add raising the chloride level in the runoff and groundwater to the list of water quality concerns. These salts impact sensitive organisms in our waters, and this needs to be studied and factored into any final decisions. We also see the applicant is planning to crush concrete and asphalt, in addition to normal gravel crushing operations. While we usually applaud recycling of natural resources, in this case we have concerns. It is unknown if leachate from either of these materials will have negative impacts on the groundwater resources that feed the trout stream. Without the science, we are left guessing at the potential impacts.