Solberg Lake Gravel Pit Residents Report Condition Violation

Solberg Lake Gravel Pit Residents Report Condition Violations at July 23 Land Use Committee Review

Last updated: July 2026

By Price County Fun Editorial Team | Price County, Wisconsin

By Price County Fun Editorial Team | Last updated: July 31, 2026

Tammy Melbauer lives at N9533 East Solberg Lake Road, directly across from the Janke and Sons gravel pit that the Price County Land Use Committee approved 4-1 on June 18. She told the committee on July 23 that 6 a.m. crushing noise in a residential neighborhood is unbearable. “I am not a morning person,” Melbauer said. “Morning to me should start about 8:00. Kind of ease into it. But unfortunately that’s not what’s happening in our neighborhood.” She had surveyed other gravel pits online and found most start at 7 a.m. She asked the committee to condense hours to 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays and 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays until sound mitigation is in place.

Quick Answer: The Price County Land Use and UW-Extension Committee held a compliance review on July 23, 2026, for the Janke and Sons gravel pit on East Solberg Lake Road in the Town of Worcester. Residents reported that the operator began work before completing required driveway, buffer, and landfill marker conditions. The committee negotiated a voluntary compromise: the operator will start at 7 a.m. instead of 6 a.m. while working in the front parcel near the road. Zoning administrator Evan Knoll confirmed most conditions are now being met, including DNR-approved landfill site marking. A permanent gate is required by November when seasonal operations end.

What residents told the committee on July 23

Three residents spoke during public comment at the July 23 Land Use Committee meeting at the Price County courthouse in Phillips. The hearing followed the committee’s 4-1 approval of the conditional use permit on June 18, which carried 16 conditions including hours, setbacks, buffers, noise limits, and a requirement to physically mark the buried Grandview Hotel demolition landfill on the property.

Maryanne Kerner, who lives at W6544 County Road H in Phillips, told the committee that noise from the pit has reached her cattle. “Even my cattle feel the effects of the noise,” Kerner said. “I used to live close enough to town, but far enough to enjoy the quietness of the country. And now I hear scratching and scraping and equipment running.” She blamed the Price County zoning committee for not checking the surroundings or location before approving the permit.

John Reams, who lives at N9453 Solberg Lake Road, raised a more specific concern. He said many of the 16 conditions attached to the permit should have been completed before operations began. “A lot of the residents in the area feel that many of the conditions for having this top soil sand gravel pit operations across the street have not really been met, but operations have begun,” Reams told the committee. He noted that the driveway was only moved after about a month of truck traffic using the wrong entrance. “If nothing’s going to happen, why do we put them on there?” he asked.

Melbauer’s hours compromise request

Melbauer’s public comment was the most detailed. She acknowledged that the pit exists and said residents need to “work together to figure out how to make this a cohesive existence over the next 10 years.” But she drew a line on the 6 a.m. start time, which the committee had set as condition number one.

“When I surveyed the other gravel pits in the area that I could find online, most of them had a 7 a.m. start time,” Melbauer said. She asked the committee to condense hours to 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday until the berm and trees are in place. The committee’s condition set a deadline of September 1, 2027 for planting three rows of coniferous trees as a vegetative buffer.

What the zoning administrator found

Evan Knoll, Price County’s zoning administrator, told the committee he has been in regular contact with both the pit operators and the neighbors over the past month. He provided a condition-by-condition update based on a site visit the previous week.

Condition 16: Landfill markers

Knoll visited the site to verify compliance with condition 16, which requires the existing solid waste disposal site to be marked with permanent markers and signs to deter encroachment. He reported that the operator lined the entire landfill area with stumps from tree clearing, flagged it off, and ordered signs that arrived the morning of the meeting. “The operator showed me the signs this morning that are going to be put around the entire landfill site area so people stay out of there,” Knoll told the committee.

The DNR had confirmed the buried demolition landfill on the property where the Grandview Hotel was buried in 1988. A 1,200-foot buffer zone surrounds the site. Knoll said the DNR called the operator recently and confirmed everything looked acceptable based on photos submitted.

Condition 14: Driveway and mud tracking

The original driveway did not meet the 100-foot setback from neighboring driveways required by condition 10. Knoll confirmed the new driveway was installed the previous Friday with crushed stone to limit mud tracking on the public road. The operator, Ryan Janke, told the committee the company plans to pave the entire road from the entrance to the tree line with blue granite, a hard rock that produces less dust than typical gravel.

Condition 8: Buffer not yet planted

The vegetative buffer, which requires three rows of coniferous trees by September 1, 2027, is not yet in place. Knoll said the operator plans to seed the front area with clover and a DOT mix for ground cover in the short term, with tree planting scheduled for spring when orders open. Ryan Janke confirmed: “Next spring will be the trees that go in. You’d kill a tree if you planted them right now.”

Condition 1: Hours of operation

Knoll reported that the operator has been staying within the 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. window. One complaint alleged operations started at 6:02 a.m., which Knoll noted falls within the permitted hours. “Even the one that complained about it acknowledged that falls within the conditions,” Knoll said. No complaints about evening hours have been received.

The 7 a.m. compromise

Committee chair Robert Kopisch proposed a middle ground. Rather than formally amending the permit conditions, which would require public notice, the committee asked the operator to voluntarily start at 7 a.m. while the screener is working in the front parcel near the road. Once operations move to the back of the property, behind the tree line, the operator can return to the 6 a.m. start time.

Ryan Janke pushed back initially. “We’re trying to bust our ass to get out of there and get in the back,” he told the committee. “Out of sight, out of mind.” He explained that shorter hours would prolong the time spent in the front area, extending the very problem residents want solved. But he agreed to the compromise: 7 a.m. start while the screener is in the front, returning to 6 a.m. once operations move behind the tree line.

Kopisch estimated the front work would be done within two weeks. Janke confirmed: “By the weekend we should almost be done screening the front. We might not have it all screened by the weekend, but it should be close.” The committee did not take a formal vote on the change, citing the need for public notice before amending permit conditions. The parliamentarian on the committee cautioned against an official action without notice to the public.

What conditions remain unmet

Knoll’s update identified several conditions still in progress as of July 23:

Outstanding conditions

Vegetative buffer (Condition 6): 50-foot unexcavated buffer along property lines not yet planted. Short-term seeding with clover and DOT mix planned for the following week.
Tree planting (Condition 8): Three rows of coniferous trees required by September 1, 2027. Spring 2027 planting planned.
Secured gate (Condition 15): Entry must be secured when not in operation. Janke said the gate will be installed by November when seasonal operations end. Committee clarified this means annually, not daily.
Road surfacing: Blue granite surfacing of the entire road from entrance to tree line, beyond the 100-foot requirement, to reduce dust. Not yet completed.

Conditions confirmed met

Landfill markers (Condition 16): Stump line, flagging, and signs delivered. DNR reviewed photos and approved.
Driveway setback (Condition 10): New driveway installed at 100-foot setback with crushed stone.
Mud tracking prevention (Condition 14): Crushed stone surface in place at entrance.
Hours of operation (Condition 1): Operator within 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. window. Voluntary 7 a.m. compromise agreed for front-parcel work.
Noise limit (Condition 9): 90 dB limit at property line. No measured violations reported. Kopisch noted that audible noise does not necessarily exceed the decibel limit.

The bigger picture: American Asphalt is coming back

The gravel pit permit covers sand, gravel, and aggregate crushing only. Condition 11 explicitly prohibits asphalt, cement, or blasting. But the withdrawal of American Asphalt’s separate application for a temporary asphalt plant on the same property was never the end of that story.

At the July 8 Health and Human Services Board meeting, Supervisor Robert Copich asked Public Health Officer Tiffany Pollitchek to research the health impacts of asphalt plants. Copich told the board that American Asphalt withdrew its application but “it’s going to come back.” He asked Pollitchek to prepare public health data proactively, roughly a year ahead of an expected reapplication. Pollitchek confirmed she would work on it.

This is a strategic move. The HHS Board’s research cannot override the existing gravel pit CUP, but it positions the county to mount a health-based case when American Asphalt refiles. The withdrawal gave the county a window to prepare, and Copich is using it.

What Act 67 means for the next fight

Wisconsin Act 67 limits the conditions a county can impose on a conditional use permit to those that are “reasonable” and based on “substantial evidence.” The Land Use Committee’s 16 conditions survived this standard. But the next battle, over an asphalt plant, will be different. An asphalt plant produces emissions, not just noise and dust. If Pollitchek’s research documents specific health risks to nearby residents, that evidence could constitute the “substantial evidence” needed to deny or heavily condition an asphalt plant permit.

The committee learned this lesson the hard way with the buried landfill. The discovery of the Grandview Hotel demolition site gave them leverage they didn’t have before. The health research is the same strategy, applied earlier.

What happens next

The Land Use Committee did not set a date for the next compliance review. Knoll said he will continue investigating complaints as they come in. The operator is expected to move operations to the back of the property within two weeks, at which point the 7 a.m. compromise expires and the 6 a.m. start time resumes.

The next regular County Board meeting is scheduled for August 18, 2026, at 9 a.m. in the county courthouse boardroom in Phillips. The Land Use Committee’s next meeting date was not announced at the July 23 session. The HHS Board meets August 12 at 4 p.m., where Pollitchek’s asphalt plant health research may have an update.

For more on the Solberg Lake gravel pit story, see our coverage of the June 9 landfill discovery and the original May 21 hearing where 30 residents testified against the project. For a deeper look at why Wisconsin counties struggle to say no, read our guide to conditional use permits under Act 67. Cross-site: Borrachos Bar covers Northwoods patio season if you need a drink after all this.

FAQ

What happened at the July 23 Land Use Committee meeting?

The committee held a compliance review for the Janke and Sons gravel pit on East Solberg Lake Road. Three residents reported noise and unmet conditions. The zoning administrator confirmed most conditions are being met. The operator agreed to start at 7 a.m. instead of 6 a.m. while working near the road.

What conditions are still not met?

The vegetative buffer (three rows of coniferous trees) is not yet planted, with a deadline of September 1, 2027. The secured gate is not installed, with a November deadline. The blue granite road surfacing is in progress but not complete.

Can the committee change the hours of operation?

The committee has the authority to amend conditions on a conditional use permit. However, doing so requires public notice. The July 23 compromise was voluntary, not a formal amendment, to avoid the notice requirement.

Is American Asphalt coming back?

Supervisor Robert Copich told the HHS Board on July 8 that American Asphalt’s withdrawal is temporary and “it’s going to come back.” He estimated a one-year timeline. Public Health Officer Tiffany Pollitchek was tasked with researching health impacts of asphalt plants in preparation.

What is the buried landfill issue?

The Grandview Hotel was demolished and buried on the property in 1988 with DNR permission. The site is on the DNR’s registry with a 1,200-foot buffer zone. Condition 16 requires the operator to mark the landfill area with permanent markers and signs. As of July 23, the area is flagged, lined with stumps, and signs have been delivered for installation.