Some Layton residents are concerned about the unsightly appearance of a sand and gravel pit on the mountains above their city.
The 45-year-old gravel pit's scarring has become significantly more visible lately not only because an old area of the pit has been reopened, but also perhaps due to an unusually large new home under construction to the south that's calling more attention to the area.The pit, just north of Adams Canyon, is jointly owned by Holland Gailey and a family trust, but it is currently being leased to Craythorne Sand and Gravel Company of Syracuse. It is above U.S. 89, but actually sits on unannexed Davis County land.
Layton City Council members Lyndia Graham and Stuart Adams said they have noticed the gravel pit more lately and expressed concern over its appearance. Adams said he'd like the council to address the subject at a future meeting.
However, county officials say the pit is being working well within the law.
"They're not expanding in a fashion that can be seen from below," Barry Burton, assistant director of community and economic development for Davis County, said.
He's taken complaints about the pit's appearance recently, but said actual expansion is taking place below the foothills where it is not visible from Layton below.
Richard Craythorne, gravel pit operator, could not be reached for comment.
Davis County Commissioner Gayle A. Stevenson said the gravel pit is not in violation of any kind. He admits gravel pits are unsightly, though. "That's always a problem," he said.
"It's not their right to destroy a mountain," said resident Mary Ellen Thompson, a longtime critic of sand and gravel pits. "It represents a tremendous insensitivity to caring for the land."
Thompson describes herself as a "reasonable environmentalist." That is, she realizes some things must be done for the sake of progress. She acknowledges the heavy pressure the Wasatch Front is currently under to build new roads and that means pouring a lot of money, as well as sand and gravel into such projects.
Still, she said looking at some abandoned gravel pits, like the one above the Rock Loft in Fruit Heights, clearly illustrates the long-lasting damage such pits can do.
A sand and gravel pit in Mountain Green, near the start of the Trapper's Loop Highway, has also been a subject of controversy lately, but for a different reason. Some area residents are concerned over its possible health risks from blowing dust on children with asthma.