Dickinson County approves quarry conditional use permit subject to written agreement, buffer and screening conditions

The Dickinson County Board of County Commissioners voted to approve Conditional Use Permit CUP24-09 for a proposed quarry, contingent on a written agreement the applicant and adjacent landowners finalized and delivered to county staff for inclusion in a formal resolution to be signed next week.

Commissioners struck the conditions set at a February meeting and approved the permit based on terms the parties recited on the record at the March 13 meeting, which included mapped limits on quarrying, screening requirements and an updated groundwater-well study. County planning staff will prepare the final resolution (to be numbered 032025) and the parties will submit a signed, final version for the commission to execute.

Why it matters: The quarry would operate near residences; negotiators agreed to an explicit mapped buffer and ongoing measures intended to limit dust, visual impacts and potential groundwater effects. The commission’s action moves the permit from conditional status into approval, subject to the written documentation and the county’s remaining regulatory checks.

Details of the agreement and remaining requirements - Mapped limits: The applicant and adjacent property owners agreed the quarrying operation will not occur inside the area identified on the on-record map (referred to during the meeting as the “Louisiana puzzle piece” and to be attached as Exhibit A). The parties agreed on a minimum clear distance from the nearest house of 580 feet as the closest point referenced on the map. - Screening: Instead of a soil berm, the parties agreed to use a double-stacked row of large round bales placed along the 580-foot radius buffer (the yellow buffer line on the attached map) as the primary visual screening between quarry operations and adjacent residences. The applicants agreed to maintain that screening over time. - Setbacks and references: The parties requested removal of the prior 1,000-foot or quarter-mile residential setback language and instead referenced the attached site map and the agreed setbacks; planning staff suggested and the parties accepted a clarified condition that the applicant maintain at least 100 feet from certain property lines as shown on an updated site plan supplied by a licensed surveyor (the final language will reference the attached survey/site plan). - Well study: The applicant agreed to update the original well study (a study from the mid‑1990s was referenced) to identify wells pertinent to the current quarry footprint and to include the Moody well in Section 12. - Incidental activity: The parties and staff clarified that incidental activities (for example, building access roads that are not part of the actual quarry extraction area shown on Exhibit A) are permitted and considered ancillary to the quarrying operation; active quarrying, blasting, or mining remains limited to the yellow area.

Procedural history and next steps The Planning Commission first heard the application in December; the county commission had previously imposed conditions in February. At the March 13 meeting the parties negotiated a revised set of conditions in the hallway and on the record, initialed a working map, and asked the commission to vacate the prior conditions and approve the permit on the recited terms. The commission first voted to strike the February conditions and then voted to approve the CUP subject to the parties’ written agreement and the county attorney and planning director reviewing the final draft. Tim Hamilton, the county planning director, will prepare the final resolution (032025) and the applicants agreed to provide the finalized, signed agreement and site plan to planning staff for review and inclusion.

Quotations Mark Edwards, an appearing party, summarized the on-the-record compromise: "We have agreed ... there will be no quarrying on the inside of this Louisiana puzzle piece." Tim Hamilton (Planning Director) discussed how the final conditions will be tied to the attached site plan and the county’s regulations.

Documentation and conditions to be attached The commission instructed staff to attach the map referenced on the record (Exhibit A) to the final resolution and to require the applicant to submit the updated well study and the site plan prepared by a licensed surveyor. The parties initialed a working copy and agreed to provide a finalized version to the county.

What the approval does not do The commission’s approval is conditioned on the final written agreement and retained county authority to ensure the finalized documents conform to county regulations; the county will review the submitted documents before the chair signs the finalized resolution.

For the record: vote and timing The motions to strike the earlier conditions and to approve CUP24-09 on the parties’ recited terms were both adopted by voice vote during the March 13 meeting; the final signed resolution will be prepared for commission signature next week.