After hearing hours of testimony from the local community on Wednesday, the Eagle County Planning Commission voted in favor of denying applications for a gravel mine near the Colorado River in Eagle County near Dotsero.
The mine required an exception to the Dotsero Area Community Plan as well as a special use permit. Both were denied by a 4-2 vote.
Dee Wisor, Leah Mayer, Tim Carpenter and Bobby Warner voted in favor of denying the exception and the application, while Greg Moffet and Brian Judge voted against the denial.
Carpenter said the testimony from the community changed his mind. More than 30 locals spoke out against the idea to remove roughly 225,000 tons of gravel per year from the 107-acre area near the Colorado River.
Valley Voices
The Rincon gravel mine proposed along the Colorado River just north of Dotsero comes before the Eagle County Planning Commission on Jan. 6. The mine has generated many concerned comments from community members about the impacts it may have on the Colorado River Valley, and I’m one of those people.
I live, guide and run river shuttles along the Colorado River. It has been an intimate part of my life for 35 years. Colorado’s population has more than doubled in that time, but the “Lower Upper” Colorado River corridor, between McCoy and Dotsero, has changed very little. It sees more river traffic than it used to, but manages to maintain its rural character and timeless beauty.
I am writing to ask that the Eagle County Planning Commission deny the Rincon gravel pit application for an exemption to the Dotsero Community Plan. There is simply no need for a new gravel pit.
I was on the Planning Commission when we approved the Hidden Valley gravel pit just a couple miles north of Dotsero. That gravel operation has many years of life left to supply gravel for Eagle County. Most people driving north on the River Road have no idea it’s there. That “hidden” aspect was the main reason that operation got my vote.
Driving north on the Colorado River Road from Dotsero you top the hill and are greeted with a spectacular view of the river, the valley and the Flat Tops. We shouldn’t mar that view with a new and unnecessary eyesore. We can see what a string of gravel operations can do to the landscape with the existing pits along the Eagle River between Eagle and Gypsum. It’s not pretty.
Rincon Materials’ proposed sand, gravel supply facility focuses on environment, neighbors, future ranchettes
Long-range plans envision a small grocery, gas station (depicted above) closer to Highway 6.
Rincon Partners, a company proposing a sand and gravel operation followed by a small commercial and residential development near Dotsero, issued the following press release on Monday:
DOTSERO, Colo. – Dec. 28, 2020 –A proposal to develop an environmentally-focused sand and gravel supply operation is the first step to bringing a long-contemplated vision of rural residential homes and first-ever commercial services to this expanding community at the eastern mouth of Glenwood Canyon and on the north side of Interstate 70.
The Edwards RiverPark developer is asking our county commissioners to blatantly ignore the 2017 Edwards Area Community Plan and Eagle County land use regulations and approve a 540-unit development.
If this land was economically viable to develop in accordance with the EACP, it would have likely been purchased by a local developer. Instead, this developer from Denver purchased the land and apparently did not do the research, due diligence, or an economic feasibility study based on the EACP goals.
Edwards RiverPark is not in substantial conformance with the EACP which state clear goals for Edwards in terms of sustainable traffic, workforce housing, resource protection of wildlife habitat, and limiting the adverse impact on adjacent properties of light and noise pollution. It also lacks a safe pedestrian connection with the Edwards core and is not compatible with surrounding land uses.