A “for sale” sign is posted outside Mountain Loop Mine’s Everett Aggregate Yard on Thursday, May 30, 2024, in Everett, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)

A “for sale” sign is posted outside Mountain Loop Mine’s Everett Aggregate Yard on Thursday, May 30, 2024, in Everett, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)

After months of controversy, mine’s Everett gravel yard is for sale

In April, a county judge ordered OMA Construction to stop all work, next door to Fairmount Elementary School. Now, the yard is on the market.

EVERETT — Following months of public health concerns and county code violations next door to an elementary school, the owners of Mountain Loop Mine’s Everett Aggregate Yard listed the property for sale this week.

A “for sale” sign was visible at the property, owned by OMA Construction, at 2615 Center Road on Wednesday. The sign lists the names of three Colliers real estate agents, but the property still wasn’t listed online as of Thursday afternoon. Colliers’ Bellevue and Seattle offices didn’t respond to The Daily Herald’s phone calls Thursday.

“None of us knew that was in the works,” Mukilteo School District spokesperson Diane Bradford said.

OMA Construction did not respond to a request for comment Thursday.

Over a year ago, Fairmount Elementary School staff and children started reporting headaches and coughing fits they attributed to noise and dust from the site. During school hours, teachers and students heard constant scraping and banging, as dump trucks loaded and unloaded mounds of gravel, rock and sand at the yard about 50 feet from some classrooms. At full operation, the site generated 59 to 90 decibels of sound. For elementary school kids, teachers and staff, it was a massive distraction.

“They’re refugees coming from war-torn countries, and they’re hearing the sounds back there,” teacher Melissa Reed said about the school’s students, when a Herald reporter previously visited the school. “It scares them.”

After OMA Construction started operations at the gravel yard, school staff said they were changing the school’s HVAC system filters sometimes on a monthly basis. Filters can usually last three months.

OMA Vice President Brandon Akers had offered to build a “noise wall” along the site’s north boundary to dampen noise and dust. Still, Akers asserted operations weren’t emitting dust or exceeding county noise standards.

In February, Snohomish County Planning and Development Services found the yard in violation of county noise standards and issued an emergency order that called for “all use and operations on the site” to stop. OMA Construction also hadn’t obtained proper permits for the site since it opened in April 2023.

County officials and Mukilteo School District representatives argued yard workers continued parking, staging and dispatching trucks at the site, despite the February emergency order.

In April, Snohomish County Superior Court Judge Millie Judge officially prohibited OMA from using the site, unless it secured a land-disturbing activity permit from the county, as well as permits for wastewater discharge and sand-and-gravel work from the state Department of Ecology.

“It’ll be interesting,” Bradford said, “to see how the process continues.”

Ta’Leah Van Sistine: 425-339-3460; taleah.vansistine@heraldnet.com; Twitter: @TaLeahRoseV.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Local News

Customers enter and exit the Costco on Dec. 2, 2022, in Lake Stevens. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Costco stores could be impacted by looming truck driver strike threat

Truck drivers who deliver groceries and produce to Costco warehouses… Continue reading

Two Washington State ferries pass along the route between Mukilteo and Clinton as scuba divers swim near the shore Sunday, Oct. 22, 2023, in Mukilteo, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Ferry system increases ridership by a half million in 2024

Edmonds-Kingston route remains second-busiest route in the system.

Candidates announce campaigns for Everett city council seat

Ryan Crowther, founder of the Everett Music Initiative, will challenge incumbent Paula Rhyne for the District 2 seat.

Lynnwood City Council Vice President Julieta Crosby speaks during a Lynnwood City Council meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Lynnwood picks top eight candidates to replace former council VP

The City Council will make its final decision Feb. 20 after interview process.

The peaks of Mount Pilchuck, left, and Liberty Mountain, right, are covered in snow on Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2025 in Lake Stevens, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Western Washington’s current winter drought may not last through the season

Even with last week’s snow flurries, there’s no denying this… Continue reading

Robin Cain with 50 of her marathon medals hanging on a display board she made with her father on Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025 in Lake Stevens, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Running a marathon is hard. She ran one in every state.

Robin Cain, of Lake Stevens, is one of only a few thousand people to ever achieve the feat.

People line up to grab food at the Everett Recovery Cafe on Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2024 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Coffee, meals and compassion are free at the Everett Recovery Cafe

The free, membership-based day center offers free coffee and meals and more importantly, camaraderie and recovery support.

Devani Padron, left, Daisy Ramos perform during dance class at Mari's Place Monday afternoon in Everett on July 13, 2016. (Kevin Clark / The Herald)
Mari’s Place helps children build confidence and design a better future

The Everett-based nonprofit offers free and low-cost classes in art, music, theater and dance for children ages 5 to 14.

The Everett Wastewater Treatment Plant along the Snohomish River on Thursday, June 16, 2022 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Everett water, sewer rates could jump 43% by 2028

The rate hikes would pay for improvements to the city’s sewer infrastructure.

The bond funded new track and field at Northshore Middle School on Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024 in Bothell, Washington. (Courtesy of Northshore School District)
Northshore School District bond improvements underway

The $425 million bond is funding new track and field complexes, playgrounds and phase one of two school replacements.

A view of a homes in Edmonds, Washington on Friday, Sept. 8, 2023. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Snohomish County to mail property tax statements this month

First half payments are due on April 30.

Ticket and ORCA card kiosks at the Lynnwood Light Rail station on Thursday, April 4, 2024 in Lynnwood, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Beginning March 1, Community Transit to reduce some fares

Riders eligible for reduced fares will pay $1 for a single ORCA card tap and $36 for a monthly pass.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.