Clay County planning commission approves interim permit for 39.5-acre Westland Excavating gravel mine

The Clay County Planning Commission on voice vote approved an interim use permit for Westland Excavating to operate a 39.5-acre gravel mine on Parcel 17-031-0100, a 137-acre property described by staff as half a mile north of Casa 26.

Planner Matt (speaker 3) told commissioners the site is zoned agricultural with an aggregate resource overlay and that previous interim permits were granted in 2023 and 2024. He said the proposed mine would include on-site processing, temporary sanitation, no dewatering, and fuel stored in a fuel trailer. Matt said the applicant estimated about $1,000 per acre to reclaim mined land and that the board’s recommended reclamation bond for the site is $40,000.

Jeff with Westland Excavating (speaker 7) introduced himself as the applicant and said operating the pit closer to town would save the company roughly 12 miles round trip when hauling material to the Harwood data center. Commissioners asked whether the material is mostly sand; Jeff confirmed it is primarily sand and said he had not yet coordinated haul-road maintenance with other permit holders but would maintain the road from the highway to his pit.

Commissioners questioned enforcement of haul-road maintenance and whether truck traffic had been using adjacent private property to skirt rough spots. Matt said permit conditions require operators to maintain haul routes and that enforcement is typically complaint-driven; he proposed coordinating signage with the township and other operators to keep trucks on the public road and off private property.

Before the vote, the commission reviewed 13 conditions of approval, including operating hours consistent with other local pits (staff noted standard hours used by the commission are 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., with Saturday hauling limited), progressive reclamation, and bonds to ensure reclamation. A commissioner moved to approve the permit with the 13 conditions and an added clarification to condition 8 specifying dates; the motion was seconded and carried by voice vote. The commission recorded no opposition.

The permit approval is procedural and includes the condition that the applicant coordinate with county staff and adjacent operators on haul-road signage and maintenance; the county may rely on complaints to trigger enforcement of haul-road conditions. The planning commission did not identify additional state-level triggers (for example, wetland review or DNR processes) beyond those noted in staff’s presentation.