A Crestview resident is calling on the city to require a 50- to 100-metre buffer for a proposed quarry north of the neighbourhood near Nine Mile Creek.

Mike Ivens spoke at Monday’s public hearing on the proposed rezoning of 2.75 hectares of land off the Alaska Highway to permit the quarry.

Cee & Cee Dirt and Gravel Ltd. is proposing to expand its quarry operation, currently next door, into the property.

It’s expected the new quarry section has about 190,000 cubic metres of material in it and would operate for seven to 11 years, extracting anywhere from 17,000 to 27,000 cubic metres of material every year.

In his presentation to council Monday, Ivens noted his major concern with the proposed quarry is a trail, which he described as “a huge resource for our wilderness city.”

The path is part of the Trans Canada Trail system.

While the trail is not extremely close to the proposed gravel pit, Ivens asked that the city require a buffer or setback of at least 50 metres or “ideally, 100 metres” away from the quarry area, going beyond the Official Community Plan requirement of a 30-m riparian setback.

Ivens argued a larger buffer area with trees and the like would help ensure that any garbage or waste from the quarry remained away from the trail.

A valuable hiking resource could be destroyed if the project goes ahead as it’s proposed, he argued.

Coun. Mike Gladish asked Ivens for his thoughts on potentially relocating the trail if a large buffer can’t be established.

Ivens responded by noting that such a “gesture would be welcome,” but given the steep drop-off near the trail, he doesn’t see any way it could could be moved or relocated.

Cee & Cee has been proposing extending its quarry area for some time.

Coun. Betty Irwin noted that two years ago, the company came forward with another application that was ultimately denied.

As Ivens acknowledged though, that proposal would have put the quarry between half a mile to a mile closer to the Crestview neighbourhood.

The current proposal originally identified a 4.7-ha space for the quarry.

After a review by the Yukon Environmental Socio-economic Assessment Board, however, it was reduced to the 2.75 ha now being put to council for rezoning.

The city received four written submissions on the proposal.

Valerie Anderson, the city’s acting director of corporate services, said the written submissions all expressed opposition to the rezoning.

City staff will prepare a report on the public hearing for council to review next week. Second and third readings of the rezoning are then expected to come forward for a vote at council’s June 29 meeting.

If the rezoning is adopted, the Yukon government would then finalize a lease for the land.

Cee & Cee would then be required to obtain a development permit from the city before work could begin on the site.