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The Cortez Journal Gravel Continued from Page lA include permits from the ' Colorado Department of Transportation regazding traf-_ flc Increases on Highway 145 mitigation plans approved by the Colorado Mined Land Reclamation office, a Colorado Waste Water Dischazge permit, and a construction and air-pol- lution emission notice. The commissioners said they will push for having CDOT install an acceleration lane for trucks ruining south from the pit onto the highway, and emphasized the importance of Four States trying to maintain safe trucking operations. Regazding the devaluation of property rights as a result of the pit, the commissioenrs said that they have found this not to be nece5sarlly true. They cited as an example the Twin Spruce 'subdivision, also in the Dolores River-. Valley, neaz a expired gravel pit and an ongoing hous- ing-development and land sales going on neaz the Sunnyside pit, which is compete but yet to be reclaimed. The commissioners felt that whlle property values may drop tempoarlly during the lifespan of the operating permit, they tend to. rebound after mining and reclamation is complete. "Take a look at La Plata County and ,Dalton Ranch," said Commissioner Kent Lindsay. "That is a high-dollaz (Dousing) development next to a huge gravel-pit operation. I beg to differ with gravel pits reducing property values" in the long run. Four States owner Aryol Brumley promised to mitigate noise as much as possible.-He said that actual mining and crusher operations, the most disruptive portion of the mine proposal, will only be going on for two months out of the yeaz, in the late summer and fall. "Actual production 1s not long-term, .24 hows per day, seven days a week all yeaz," Brumley said. "There will be peak periods but not for months and months at a time." "Our biggest challenge Ss bal- ancing property rights with prop- erty values," Commissioner Gene Story said, adding that "to be a good neighbor, ~adJustments must be made when an undesir- able situation is created." Before the decision was made to approve the permit, public comment at the hearing = which had been continued twice - was again heard, offer- ing a prelude to azguments that will likely be made in court against the gravel pit. Representing Cazol Stepe, a vocal opponent of and neigbor to the Line Camp pit, attorney Tim 'llithlll spoke on the impacts the operation will have on the quality of life for nelg- bors, and specifically. cited land-use code language sup- porting the protection of prop- erty values and the rural ehaz- acter of the county. "The impact on the adJoining properties will be devastating," Tuthill sold, showing a photo- graph of the mine site as seen from Stepe's house. "(The land- use code) ensures that develop- ment does not cause significant adverse impact on other prop- erties 1n the area. Tills will ,cause a reduction In property values." Tuthill and others called for more appropriate alternatives to the 50-acre Line Camp site on lands also owned by Truelson, who is .leasing 19 acres of the Line Camp land to Four States Aggregate. Pete Robinson, who lives next door to the Ltne Camp, was suspicious of whether mit- igation efforts outlined Monday would be enforced adequately. Adminstrator Tom Weaver responded that county gravel pits are constantly getting inspected by state authorities, and that there Is not a shortage of state oversight. '"T"here aze a lot of signed petitions; the oppostlon to this is cleaz." Bald Jack Robbins, a Line Camp neighbor. "I believe this will be tied up in courts far along time." The pit, located 9 mies north of Dolores, will inine high-grade sand and gravel for paving roads andtor commercial cement used for foundations and driveways. Over the next flue yeazs between 130,000 and 150,000 tons per yeaz of gravel is expected to be taken from the site. The material will not be sold for use by the Montezuma. County road department, which operates flue gravel pits on a rotating basis in order to maintain the 800 miles of roads here: Rather, Four States Aggregate hopes to provide gravel for the lazge repaving effort now under way on state- maintained Highway 145, and for the regional 'construction trade. U •