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<br />PLANNING DEPARTMENT COMMENTS <br />1) The Planning Department previously considered the erosion control and <br />visual impact information as submitted by the applicant to be incomplete <br />and insufficient to evaluate the environmental and visual impacts of the <br />proposed operation. Revisions to the application have helped alleviate <br />these concerns; however, the Department of Public Works has requested <br />certain modifications to the erosion control plan. <br />2) Due to the location of the proposed mining area, topography and <br />elevation of the site, and the small area proposed for mining, visual <br />screening of the site is difficult to achieve, but has been maximized by the <br />revised mining plan. <br />3) The site apparently contains an excellent source of road gravel that is in <br />very limited supply in the northern part of the County. Adjacent areas <br />have previously been mined, including a pit operated by the EI Paso <br />County Department of Public Works. <br />4) Gravel mining at the site would be consistent with the intent of the Master <br />Plan for the Extraction of Commercial Mineral Deposits and statutory <br />intent of that plan, if the applicant is able to reasonably mitigate the <br />environmental and societal impacts associated with the mining. <br />5) EI Paso County is scheduled to replace the existing bridge over Monu- <br />ment Creek in the Fall of 1993. The current bridge has load limits and is <br />being replaced because similar bridges in other locations have <br />experienced design problems. The replacement is totally unrelated to the <br />proposed mining operation, but would be beneficial to the mining opera- <br />tion. The temporary detour planned on the south side of the existing <br />bridge will be designed to accommodate the existing traffic, as well as <br />school busses and other heavy vehicles. <br />6) Tarping of gravel trucks has more recently been a standard condition of <br />approval of a mining application. All County and many industry vehicles <br />are equipped for tarping or covering of loads. <br />7) Reclamation comments are most generally within the purview of the State. <br />However, in this instance staff is of the opinion that the replanting of <br />oakbrush on the high wall will provide additional visual benefits. Noxious <br />weed infestations have beer particularly evident in the northwestern part <br />of the County and the applicant has exerted a great effort to control <br />weeds on this property. The Soil Conservation Service has recom- <br />mended that a specific weed control plan be developed. <br />~~ <br />