Gravel pit plans rejected by Lawrence County voters

Referendum blocks plans for 81-acre mining site near Crow Peak Bench

The site where North Star Construction wanted to develop a gravel quarry, on land owned by GF Development. (Neal Bowman)

Plans to mine more rock in the Spearfish area of the Black Hills aren’t going to happen anytime soon.

In a county-wide referendum, Lawrence County voters this week decisively chose to revoke a conditional use permit that would have allowed an 81-acre gravel pit to be developed near Crow Peak Bench.

Known for its quiet and naturalistic hiking trails, the area is also home to several new homes, whose owners helped thwart the ambitions of not only North Star Construction and GF Development, the South Dakota-based companies that saw their previously approved permit rescinded in Tuesday’s vote. A second mine project planned in the area was also abandoned by a different company leading up to the special election.

Growing demand for the type of gravel made from limestone that’s plentiful in the region had both North Star and Croell Inc., a separate construction company, eyeing the development of the gravel pits — the latter targeting a 101 acre site. And county official earlier this year resoundingly signed off on both companies’ plans.

North Star’s gravel pit would have become the third of its kind in the county, with the proposed site being about six miles west of Spearfish near the Wyoming state line.

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