GYPSUM \u2014 Gravel mining operations have dotted the landscape between Eagle and Gypsum for years, but this week the Eagle County commissioners approved an operation that shakes up the status quo.<\/p>\n
The Tower Pit will mine gravel from a location south of U.S. Highway 6 and it will be operated by a new local partnership.<\/p>\n
The mining operation will involve 36.7 acres adjacent to the Eagle County Airport near the Colorado Army National Guard High-Altitude Aviation Training Site, on the north side of the airport property. The mining operation will be run by a new entity \u2014 Eagle Rocks Aggregate \u2014 which is a partnership of two local excavating companies. Site Resource Management, owned by Chris and Shannon Fedrizzi and Arena Excavating, owned by Steve and Jen Jewett, formed the new company. Merv Lapin owns the Tower Pit property.<\/p>\n
Several individuals and construction business owners offered public comment in support of the Tower Pit plan during the commissioner\u2019s public hearing this week. They noted that there is currently a local gravel monopoly, with United Companies being the only entity selling aggregate\u00a0materials in Eagle County.<\/p>\n
\u201cI strongly believe that this would promote healthy competition and provide competitive prices for Eagle County residents and businesses,\u201d said Bart Ewing, of Ewing Trucking and Construction. \u201cLower prices on aggregate material means lower construction costs across the board. This is beneficial to every resident in the county.\u201d<\/p>\n
Meets conditions and county need<\/strong><\/p>\n According to the Eagle County staff review\u00a0of the\u00a0Tower Pit\u00a0project, the mine will consist of sand and gravel operations to supply material to construction projects throughout the region. The pit may accept concrete and asphalt materials that have been removed from existing sites so they can be recycled. As part of the Special Use approval, an asphalt plant and\/or concrete batch plant would be allowed on the site.<\/p>\n The county\u2019s approval to mine the approximately 37 acres, stipulated that no more than 10 acres of the property would be disturbed at any one time with most active mining happening between May to October. According to the application, the mine will be in operation for approximately 12 years, with two years at the end of the operation to allow for completion of reclamation. The term of the special use permit is 14 years.<\/p>\n \u201cStaff has evaluated the application against the standards for a special use permit and has considered all referral comments,\u201d noted county planner Sean Hagagan. \u201cThe highly visible location of the site and proposed operation; the potential for dust, noise and vibrations from the operation; and the proximity to U.S. 6 and the Eagle County Airport are all critical issues that were evaluated in depth.\u201d<\/p>\n Along with the various county criteria, the project was vetted by the Federal Aviation Administration. \u201cThe FAA made the determination that it was \u2018no hazard to air navigation,’\u201d Hanagan said.<\/p>\n County staff and the Eagle County Planning Commission both recommended approval of the Tower Pit proposal.<\/p>\n \u2018Highly visible\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n Looking at Tower Pit site on a map, the area appears to be a highly visible site.<\/p>\n \u201cI think a lot of people think that, but that has been one of our big points of contention,\u201d Fedrizzi said. \u201cWe actually feel it will be less visible than pits north of Highway 6.\u201d<\/p>\n To illustrate his point, Fedrizzi noted that US6 motorists can\u2019t currently see the HAATS building. He said the same will be true for the Tower Pit.<\/p>\n \u201cFor five or six years, it will be hard to know there is even a gravel operation there,\u201d Fedrizzi said. \u201cWe will be working behind a hillside and we will always\u00a0have\u00a0a minimum 12-foot berm that will be hiding our operation.\u201d<\/p>\n Next steps<\/strong><\/p>\n As part of their approval, the county commissioners attached several conditions to the special use permit. Those provisions include obtaining an access agreement from the town of Gypsum, as the owner of the affected stretch of U.S. Highway 6. The access agreement will include acceleration and deceleration lanes at the pit entrance area.<\/p>\n Fedrizzi said Eagle Rocks Aggregate has already launched these talks with Gypsum officials and the company hopes to finalize its access permit this spring.<\/p>\n \u201cWe would like to be selling gravel, and it\u2019s a hefty goal, no later than June of this year,\u201d Fedrizzi concluded.<\/p>\nRecommended Stories For You<\/h2>\n<\/p><\/div>\n