Update from Petoskey Gravel Pit and Team Elmer’s and or Elmer’s Crane and Dozer proposed gravel pit.
Brian Gutowski’s memo said the following ref: Gutowski letter
- The proposed driveway location(s) on Pickerel Lake Road do meet minimum site distance requirements for a commercial entrance.
- The Board will not take formal action in support or opposition of the gravel pit. However, the Board does acknowledge there is a need for some sources of gravel as we are having a difficult time getting gravel bits on some projects.
- If the gravel pit is approved and the entrance is on Pickerel Lake Road, the recommended route is Pickerel Lake Road east to Bellmer Road, then north to Graham Road, then west to US 31. If a project is south of the gravel pit, the recommended route is Fletcher Road to Mitchell Road. We do not support using Kolinske Road, Country Club Road or Alcan Road.
- The Road Commission recommends Emmet County Zoning look at the driveway access to Fochtman Industrial Park as an alternative to Pickerel Lake Road. If a wetland is to be impacted; the Road Commission has banked wetland acreage at our gravel pit on Bellmer Road and is willing to offer some of the banked wetland as an offset.
Response:
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- Statement 1: This is simply not true. First let’s just assume for simplicity that the data provided in the “review” is accurate. “The “Elmer’s Purposed Commercial Driveway Sight Distance Review” ref: ECRC recommendation on driveway, shows 4 proposed driveways. Driveway 4 shows 460 feet sight distance to the West. To the best of our knowledge the sight distance required for a commercial driveway on a road that is 55mph would be 650 feet. Emmet County Road Commission Driveway & Miscellaneous Permits, Under section 1-3 “Specifications and Design Standards”, for commercial driveways, look at Table 1-2.
- Statement 2: What the board actually voted on was the following: “Clarify there is a misunderstanding of the email, that the Emmet County road commission in no way endorses the proposal of Elmer’s other than stating that there is a lack of proper grade of gravel in our area. And so, there is no official endorsement to that.”
- Statement 3: At no point in the last meeting did anyone mention or suggest that Fletcher would be a recommended/suggested South route. In fact, after a review of the audio, quite the opposite. Keep in mind when you listen to the audio, Fletcher is a local road.
- The following was said by Brian Gutowski at the 8/10/2017 meeting: “Mr. Crane indicated to me that their main route to get to anywhere in Bear Creek, is going to be Pickerel Lake Road to Bellmer back to the highway. Nothing about going up Fletcher road.” Reference the audio below:
- The following was said by Frank Zulski at the 8/10/2017 meeting: “What my feeling is too is that if (could not make out audio on word) proceeds to have the pit go in, that it will be highly recommended that we send a letter to zoning referencing that they use Bellmer in ALL directions.” Reference the audio below:
- The following was said by Frank Zulski at the 8/10/2017 meeting: “Why put a truck route on the local roads.” Reference the audio below:
- The following was said by Frank Zulski at the 8/10/2017 meeting: “At the least that we would send a letter to Tammy, stating that if they do follow through and approve this, because we have no control whether if they approve this, that the only route taken be Bellmer, unless they can figure out a way out to go through the wetlands and get to Fotchman.” Reference the audio below:
- The following was said by Frank Zulski at the 8/10/2017 meeting: “We don’t want them on the locals.” Reference the audio below: