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Neighbors petition Price City to stop staging operations at Olsen's Reservoir, citing dust and noise
Summary
A resident presented a petition and urged the council to cease or relocate city staging activities at Old Olsen's Reservoir, citing dust, heavy truck traffic and 24 signatures; staff described mitigation steps and said site alternatives are limited.
A resident who identified herself as Carrie Jensen told the city council that staging and material storage at Old Olsen's Reservoir has increased noise, dust and truck traffic in a residential area and presented a petition signed by neighbors asking the city to cease operations there or take other corrective measures.
“This location has been used by Price City for staging area for dirt, gravel, and other materials. The noise, dust, and late night lights coming from the trucks, loaders, and backup alarms ... has become extremely annoying,” Jensen read from the petition and said she had collected 24 signatures from neighbors near First East.
Why it matters: Residents said continuous activity has reduced livability and property values on nearby streets. The petition also asked the city to consider relocation or engineering controls such as sound fencing.
Council and staff response City staff and council members said they have tried mitigation measures, including using a water truck to suppress dust and moving some materials to an alternate, smaller staging area when possible. Staff said recent clusters of water leaks forced more frequent overnight trips to the pond, which increased nighttime activity.
Officials told the council they do not currently have another adjacent property large enough for full-time staging and that moving material to the smaller south staging area has reduced trips overall but does not eliminate occasional heavy use when repairs are urgent. Staff discussed the possibility of an off-site staging location near the old water tanks and school-district property, but cautioned that those sites are either smaller or more visible to neighbors.
Engineering and cost questions Speakers noted sound walls can be effective but are expensive and must be engineered for slope, height and site conditions; staff cautioned a wall might not sufficiently address impacts for all nearby homeowners. The council asked whether the city could purchase or acquire a different property for staging; no acquisition vote or funding was presented at the meeting.
Other city actions and projects - Staff said the EWP (emergency watershed protection) project will route more water into Olsen's Pond, which should reduce dust when stormwater is present. - Council members volunteered to work with staff and neighborhood representatives to identify alternatives; one council member offered to help lead an effort to find another site.
What residents asked for Jensen asked the council to relocate operations, build a sound fence, or otherwise take steps to stop late-night and heavy-staging activity at the pond. She said she has consulted an attorney and asked the council to act before she pursues legal options; city officials declined to characterize that as a threat and said they want to work toward a solution.
Attribution and scope This article is based on remarks read at the meeting by Carrie Jensen and on responses from city staff and council members as recorded in the meeting transcript.
