Cook County’s Planning and Zoning Administrator Bill Lane came before the county board on December 30 with 13 requests to renew conditional use permits (CUP) to operate gravel pits.
The board approved 12 CUPs but withheld support for the Stan Bautch gravel pit. During a 2013 CUP review Lane said his office identified several problems regarding adherence to the original and amended permit. Among those were a lack of compliance with open areas, restoration, wetland protection and storm water implementation.
Bautch met with Cook County commissioners on July 22, 2014 and was given a 60-day deadline to provide a site plan addressing items found to be out of compliance.
On September 17, 2014, Bautch asked for and received a 90-day extension to complete a restoration plan. He hired the engineering firm Short, Elliot, and Hendrickson (SEH) to prepare a plan. The planning commission reviewed that plan on December 10, 2014, but said it was found lacking in detail.
Lane cited four areas that needed more clarification: The topsoil must be reestablished on depleted areas; restoration must be addressed for the entire permitted area; the proposed seed composition consists of invasive species and needs to be replaced with a conservation seed mix and other native vegetation and restoration efforts must include seed from the composition sheet.
Before planting Bautch must consult with the Cook County Soil and Water District on the seed and vegetation mix. Springtime seeding and planting must be completed by May 30 of each year. Bautch also must build two sediment ponds by June 30, 2015.
But Bautch, who couldn’t attend the December 30 county board meeting, stated in a letter that the gravel pit storm water runoff plan submitted by SEH might lack enough detail for the planning commission but contained enough detail for his foreman to build a basic sediment pond. He also said the seed mix he included was the seed mix proposed by the county in 1995.
Lane told the board that Bautch was right about the seed mix, but the county had changed the mixture over the last couple of years and he apologized for not informing Bautch.
“If the board decides to close this pit down, not only will it be a great hardship for the company but also for the Cook County community, that is customers that have projects scheduled to be completed and the employees that will have to be laid off and their families,” wrote Bautch.
After some discussion the county board agreed to let Bautch haul stockpiled materials from his pit while he works to correct the problems identified. Bautch also must submit a more detailed storm water runoff plan and bring it back to the planning commission for review and then present it to the county board for final approval. Until that time the county board voted to place his permit under revocation until all of the areas of concern have been addressed.
Leave a Reply