Grand Forks Council Approves TUP for Land Remediation

Grand Forks City Council has approved a Temporary Use Permit after green-lighting the process last month.

The permit is for land remediation of a 15-acre stretch between Donaldson Drive, Columbia Drive, Central and Coalshute to open the door for future residential development.

It permits on-site rock crushing so that material doesn't need to be hauled elsewhere.

Chief Administrative Office Duncan Redfearn says the TUP will make it easier on nearby residents:

“If it is going to move into a residential property…. For everything you truck off of that property (without the permit) you will probably be trucking back onto that property later so you will double the truck traffic…. If there are concerns around dust control….”

Mayor Everett Baker says he appreciates feedback on noise concerns as he's dealt with noisy construction himself living downtown:

“Looking out my window I looked and I said ‘well these are people who are working. That’s the good thing. These are our citizens that are out and making some money.’ So you have to kind of look at the good side of this and I think there are many values to getting this done.”

Councillor David Mark says the decision supports the City's goals for climate action:

“The amount of fossils fuels not being consumed to drive dump trucks to and from the site…. It’s quite astounding how much fuel a dump truck can use in a day and if you get ten of them working all day every day….”

Remediation will last 40 days between October 1st and December 31st.