Planning commission recommends five-year interim wash-plant permit and tighter hours for Humphrey gravel pit

The Cook County Planning Commission voted to recommend that the Cook County Board of Commissioners approve an amendment to the conditional use permit for the Humphrey gravel pit (WTTC land management) that would allow a wash plant operation as a five-year interim use and revise hours of operation.

The recommendation, forwarded after discussion at the county board earlier this month, would allow the pit to expand the open-pit area by roughly five acres and add a wash plant. Miss Maxwell, a land services staff member, told commissioners she had summarized public comments submitted to the county board and identified four items for the planning commission to address, including whether wash-plant approval should be an interim permit, additional noise mitigation, separate hours for different activities, and whether tighter hours could create operational risks.

Staff told the commission it had drafted a set of updated conditions. Miss Maxwell read proposed language that would set condition 12 to limit extraction, screening, crushing, washing, hauling and associated material-production activities to 7 a.m.–8 p.m. Monday through Friday and 7 a.m.–5 p.m. on Saturdays, with no regular operations on Sundays or legal holidays without planning-director authorization. She said condition 13 would authorize wash-plant operations as an interim use permit for five years provided the permittee keeps an operational plan on file with land services addressing specified items.

Aaron Holgren, vice president of operations for Northland Constructors, said his company commonly operates wash plants under interim permits and would accept a multi-year interim permit in this case. Holgren described site measures the company would use to reduce noise, including placing operations in lower elevations and maintaining embankments around processing areas, and he stressed safety priorities: “I’m not going to compromise safety at all for any of my guys. It’s just not going to happen for us.” He also indicated a willingness to limit Saturday work, proposing a 5 p.m. Saturday end time to give employees a weekend day.

Miss Maxwell told the commission that enforcing noise limits is challenging in the area because ambient noise comes from multiple gravel pits and a nearby airport; staff previously drafted 30 conditions to address concerns including hours and noise mitigation. Commissioners discussed whether to forward a single amended recommendation listing the updated conditions or to make multiple separate motions; they agreed a single motion with numbered amendments would be clearer for the county board.

A motion to recommend approval of the conditional use permit amendment with the adjusted conditions — including the five-year interim permit for the wash plant and the revised hours — was seconded, and the commission approved the recommendation by voice vote; one commissioner opposed. The planning commission’s recommendation will be presented to the Cook County Board of Commissioners at its next available meeting for final action.

The commission’s packet included staff exhibits and the county board meeting public-comment timestamps; staff said the applicant may resubmit if additional documentation is provided and that some conditions will need wording updates to reflect the interim permit structure.