Commissioners approve special use permit for grain milling business on Eaton Road

Washington County commissioners followed the county planning and zoning board recommendation and approved granting a special use permit for a commercial milling operation on Eaton Road.
 Some issues were raised at an earlier P&Z hearing about the potential for dust, traffic and noise from the milling operation, but county commissioners didn’t think the ag-related business would cause any major impacts to the rural area of the county.
 Commissioners said as long as the applicant received approval from the rural fire department and satisfied the access requirements spelled out by the Weiser Valley Highway District, the milling business could move forward.
 More than a dozen county residents showed up at a June 25 Planning and Zoning Commission hearing on the special use application submitted by Doug Christopherson and Leslie Dalton to construct a 2,400 square-foot building on Eaton Road to use as a mill.
 When asked to explain what is proposed at the location, Christopherson said he has his own farm truck that he uses to haul to different farmers in the area. He would use Scoular as a storage facility for whole corn and also use the scale there. The corn would be trucked and milled at the proposed building on Eaton Road.
 The applicants said the facilty would contain a roller mill to crack grain and pick up the milling business that Scoular in Weiser is no longer doing. The end product is needed by local farmers as cattle feed during the winter months.
 There were comments both for the proposed agricultural-related business and against it. A petition containing names of property owners opposed to the proposed milling operation was submitted to the planning board.
 In response to concerns about dust and traffic, Christopherson said the increase in traffic would be minimal. The month of December would be the busiest month with 35 loads and the extent of traffic would be just him and his truck. Each load he picks up would weigh about 30,000 pounds. He would also make deliveries to farmers.
 The mill he plans to install can grind 25 tons per hour and would not be running all the time. The mill would only have to operate one hour a day Monday through Friday to do all of the business that Scoular has, he said.
 He said noise would not be an issue. The mill is a completely sealed unit that sits outside of the building and will run on electricity. There will be some dust from the milling process that will stay in the building.
 There were other residents on Eaton Road who supported the milling operation and said so at the P&Z public hearing. One said it would be good for the community, cattlemen and 4-H kids. Another resident on Eaton Road said he didn’t think the dust and noise would be a problem and it would be good to keep the business in the community.
 A couple who own a home on Eaton Road near the proposed milling operation said they were concerned about a drop in property value and the potential for noise and dust from the milling. The driveway for the mill would be located right across the street from the school bus stop. The speed limit on the road is 55 mph and could be an issue if there is more truck traffic.
 There were other residents in the area that expressed concerns about a commercial milling business moving into what they said is a residential area. Another questioned the potential for an explosion if the mill created dust.
 The owner of a grain mill in Payette spoke in favor of granting the special use permit. He said the dust would be minimal, even if the applicant processed three times as much corn. The process of rolling the corn cracks it and there is minimal powder or dust created.