Developers of proposed gravel mine near Colorado River fail to win over Eagle County officials
Board of Commissioners will have the final say after Planning Commission recommends denial
Chris Dillman/Vail Daily
The Eagle County Planning Commission on Wednesday recommended the denial of a gravel mine operation near Dotsero. The Eagle County Board of Commissioners will have the final say on the application.
The five members present voted 4-1 to recommend denial, with Leah Mayer, Vern Brock, Patrick Scanlan and Melissa Brandrup voting in favor of denial. Tim Carpenter voted against the motion.
The vote came after about three hours of staff and applicant presentations, as well as public comment, most of which opposed the proposal.
The proposal, by Rincon Materials, was the latest iteration of plans that have twice been rejected since 2016. The Planning Commission in 2022 ruled that the project doesn’t need an exception to the Dotsero Area Community Plan.
The applicants had worked extensively with county staff to craft a more acceptable proposal, and staff recommended approval, with conditions. Changes made to the current proposal included shrinking the area to be mined, as well as using conveyor belts instead of trucks to move materials around the mine site. Trucks would be used to haul material to customers. Ben Langenfeld, an engineer for the applicants, estimated that the operation would put an average of 30 to 40 trucks per day on the Interstate frontage road at Dotsero. Those trucks would operate during the proposed nine-month mining period.
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Addressing dust, noise
County planner Karl Barton told commission members that county staff members worked with the applicant to develop limits on dust, noise and other impacts, eventually finding that the proposal was “generally compatible” with other land uses in the area.
The mine was proposed to operate only for 12 years, and Langenfeld noted that an extensive reclamation plan has been submitted to state mining officials. Langenfeld added that mining companies in Colorado are required to post reclamation bonds for their operations. The Dotsero operation bond would be in the “mid-six figures to low million” dollar range.
Applicants argued that the gravel resource would help cut costs for builders in the valley, adding that material now is often shipped from Summit County or as far away as Silt to the west.
Most residents who commented on the plan took issue with the claims the project would have limited impact on the valley at the base of the Colorado River Road.
Eagle-area resident Susie Kincaid noted that Eagle County has spent millions to purchase open space and river access points along the Colorado River Road.
“How does a gravel mine fit with that?” she asked.
Kincaid said the county should use the gravel mines that have already been permitted before approving a new one.
Gypsum resident Ryan Hobart noted that “the true face of mine reclamation” rarely matches claims made by mine operators.
“When you disturb dirt, all it does is grow weeds,” Hobart said.
Eric Jacobson, owner of the nearby Hidden Valley gravel mine, told commission members that operation has plenty of gravel and isn’t terribly busy at the moment.
But local resident Tony Vangelis urged the commission to approve the plan.
“The environmental impact of (gravel) trucks in (Glenwood Canyon) is immense,” Vangelis said. “Let’s use these resources before we build over everything.”
Commission skepticism
Most commission members expressed skepticism about the proposal. Brock said he tried to find environmental impact benefits in the plan. Brock said there would be visual impacts on that part of the valley, as well as a risk of a scar on the land in the proposed mine area.
Brandrup also noted the prospect of permanent scarring at the mine site.
“I can’t agree with this at this point … there are still too many unanswered questions,” Brandrup said.
In his remarks supporting the plan, Carpenter said the applicants had made some changes to earlier plans that are “good in terms of visual impact,” noting that Colorado River users floating past probably wouldn’t see the mine.
Before commission members voted, Mayer said she’d read all the public comments about the proposal.
“We know the community was upset with this,” Mayer said, adding that the applicant hadn’t made many efforts to reach out to the community at large.
Mayer noted that the county’s land use regulations state that development should be responsible for its impacts.
“Touching that hillside is not being fully responsible,” she said.
