Manganese processing request before zoning board

By Justin Post - 11/18/2008

Permission is being saught for the land north of Whiskey Gulch to be used as a location to process maganese ore. The issue is being discussed, along with two other applications, during the Butte-Silver Bow Zoning Board of Adjustment meeting on Thursday.

A landowner is seeking permission to temporarily process, stockpile and ship manganese ore from a storage yard just north of Silver Bow Creek.

Officials are scheduled to discuss the application, and two others, during a Thursday meeting of the Butte-Silver Bow Zoning Board of Adjustment.

Frank Antonioli and Floyd Bossard have applied for a permit to process ore located on property between the old Highway 10 and the Rarus Railroad tracks, generally north of Whiskey Gulch.

A previous permit granted to the owners required the ore be shipped by rail. This new permit is to process and transport the finer-graded materials by truck.

The operation would uncover, crush, screen, stockpile and then ship manganese ore nodules buried on the site since 1992.

Before then, the ore had been stored at the Butte Reduction Works since the 1940s, according to planning staff.

The ore was relocated to its current location because the reduction works was slated in the early 1990s for reclamation.

Owners were granted in 1992 a conditional-use permit to stockpile for sale high-grade manganese and to bury low-grade manganese ore.

Because of uncertainty of the market, however, all of the ore was buried at the new site.

Crews began uncovering the ore this fall based on the 1992 permit, but again were stalled because of falling manganese prices.

The applicants are requesting permission to process and sell the high-grade ore within three years.

Planning staff has concerns with long-term stockpiling of manganese ore, but is recommending approval of the permit with conditions that include deadlines for selling, shipping and reclaiming the property.

Zoning officials also will consider separate use- variance applications from Robert Renz and Francis Scherman and Jodie Perino-Scherman of Timberline Fencing.

Renz has applied to modify an existing one- family structure into a four-plex in a residential zone at 2 Victoria Lane.

The owners of Timberline Fencing, meanwhile, want permission to expand the business by building a 24-by-60 feet addition onto an existing structure at 3860 S. Arizona St.

Planning staff is recommending approval of both requests.

The zoning board meets at 5:30 p.m. Thursday on the third floor of the courthouse, 155 W. Granite.

Reporter Justin Post may be reached at justin.post@lee.net.