a2. The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, January 25, 1995 City okays dry kiln CITY COUNCILLORS voted 3-2 Monday night to let small sawmill owner Mo Takhar add a dry kiln to his Terrace Precut operation. Braun. Street residents gasped as. councillors: Vul George, David Hull and Rich McDaniel: voted in favour. of eranting the building permit. Ed Graydon and. Ruth neighbourhood," Hallack said, Hallock: "were opposed: burit'y “quiet; comfortable; ~~ Councillor:..Gordon | Hull and friendly.” declared a conflict of ‘interest and. did- not. vole because his company. rents” some of ° Takhar's trucks. : : 7 Residents had opposed the dry kiln... saying it would create! a precedent and throw open: the south side of Keith Ave.. to ‘saw mills and heavy industry. . “HP this. is: “glowed, that whole light :industriat zone: is wide Vopen," “Foote. said. “They're just: compounding the ~ mistakes of the ‘past.” George und McDaniel said the proposed-.dry kiln isn't significantly different “from what Takhar already has on- -the site. From front front Never ends Stenquist’s been doing this for 25 years, the first 18 for the high- ways ministry and the last seven under privatization. As the trick passes through a snowbelt on the way to Kitimat, Stenquist remembers carlier-years _ when it snowed a lot more. “In earlier winters we had to use D-8 cats to clear the snow. We'd plow on the way down to Kitimat but when we came back, there was another foot of snow on _ the highway, It’s as if we hadn't done it in the first place.’’ The ministry used gasoline- § powered vehicles in those days, too. Their exhaust pipes would j get so hot they'd crack when snow would bunch up from un- derneath.-- sd “ The attitude about snow clear- ing was also different back then, says Stenquist. © **You got to it when you had | the time: You’d never get away with that nowadays. The area around Copper Mountain School. Sometimes it would take two days to clear.’’ Those earlier winters of major snowfalls returned Jast November in the form of record white stuff and for the first two weeks of De- ff cember. Jt made for a busy time and lots of complaints. “The company was doing the best they could, When it constant- ly snows, you can’t be there all the time. I've seen it a lot worse,’’ says Stenquist. He notes that better equipment and more regulations about when work has to be done makes for | cleaner roads when compared to past years. Stenquist doesn't seem too § bothered by criticism, saying he and others hear from people only § when they complain. And he says operators pay spe- cial attention to hills to help out § large transports and other heavy vehicles. On the turnaround run back to Terrace, Stenquist encounters the Kilimat track, It's been repaired and is plowing the side of the toad, Minutes later another plow truck flashes by, also heading “Having a dry kiln there isn't going lo create any additional nuisance,” George said. ‘But opposing © councillors Graydon und Hallock. snid it was time to take a stand for the quality of life of a neighbourhood. “Ours is not an clilist “My concern is for the long term,” said Graydon. **] . believe in development, but not at all costs.” “This: is example of development at all costs.” Residents fear. further investment in the site by Takhar, will make it harder for -council (o draw the line on - future industrial development in the area. : , “The chipper and the saws that we've heard mentioned will be before you and it will * continue to Jeap-frog into the future," resident Charles Johnstone told council. -° Foote noted Takhar sat on definitely an the council that in January 1985 amended the definition of light industrial zone to include a series of uses, including “wood fabrication, including but nol. limited to gash and door, furniture, pallets, cabinets; joinery, and remanufacturing machine shops. ; Takhar. proposed the find] adoption. By: June of that year he brought his plans to council for construction of his remanufucturing plant. ~ Graydon noted that Skeena Wood Products -- situated on anacre of Jight industrial land immediately north of Terrace Precut -- is now Tisted for sale at $195,000. He suggested a purchase of that location would take the ' pressure off of requests to have other properly rezoned to light industrial. Takhar told council in the summer the owner wanted more than $300,000 for the property. PLOW TRUCK driver Ross Stenquist makes regular stops to ensure his equipment is in good working condition. Well Water ' -- Water Facts Have you ever wondered where your well water comes from? . y Ground water is found in formations called aquifers. f Aquifers are a strata or layer of the earth’s crust that is heavily saturated with water. The three type of aquifers are surface water, sand & gravel and bedrock. They are found © ~ anywhere from 5 to 5,000 feet The further down the aquifer is the higher the con- centration of minerals found in the water. Shallow water supplies may recharge too quickly and not have enough {time to filter naturally. Shallow water is more susceptible to outside contamination from runoff. If you are concerned about the quality of your water be ‘f sure to have it tested. Contact a government health agent for more information. from the surface, -shouldn't rely on the report it amendment.and seconded. its... Gilled “on the city to get a ‘dry ‘kiln fit the zoning rules, But Takhar said Monday: night the reduced price is’ still too . expensive: