The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is soliciting public comments on a permit application to build a trucking distribution facility in Coos Bay wetlands.

AT Investments, a Coos Bay company, has requested permission to develop a 1.72-acre parcel south of Kruse Avenue and west of South Fourth Street.

The property contains 1.54 acres of wetlands, a Corps of Engineers press release said. The project would build over about 1.44 of the wetlands, though an alternative plan would only impact 1.13 acres. The group plans to purchase credits from a wetland mitigation bank to offset the loss of wetlands due to construction, the press release said.

The applicant proposes to construct a distribution facility consisting of a single-story building with associated parking and loading zones. The primary design contains 24 truck-loading spaces and 26 parking spaces. The alternative includes only 12 truck-loading spaces and 26 parking spaces. Both designs call for more than 5,500 square feet of landscaping.

The Corps of Engineers is soliciting comments from the public, federal, state and local agencies, Indian Tribes and other interested parties on this permit request. Comments must be received by Nov. 27. 

The Corps will consider the project’s impacts on endangered species, historic properties, water quality, general environmental effects and the needs and welfare of the people.

For those interested, written comments can be mailed to Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, Attn: 401 Water Quality Certification Coordinator, 2020 S.W. Fourth Avenue, Portland, Oregon 97201-4953 or faxed to (503) 229-6957. E-mails can be sent to 401publiccomments@deq.state.or.us. Only documents sent in Microsoft Word, WordPerfect or plain text format will be considered. Due to document conversion difficulties, DEQ recommends that comments be sent in hard copy.

Additional information can be obtained from Liana Aker, stationed at the North Bend Field Office, at 756-2097.