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May 11, 1992 Mesa County Planning Commission and Board of County Commissioners Mesa County Planning Department P.0. Bax 20,000-502^ Grand Junction, CO 81502-5022 RE: Devries Gravel Pit Conditional Use Permit, File No. C-3492 Dear Commissioners: I am strongly opposed to the issuance of a conditional use permit for this proposed project. The existing gravel pit is destroying our neighborhood with dust and heavy truck traffic. The proposed project would not remedy a thing, it is a "Christmas Wish List" for the applicant. Everything in it is for his benefit, there is absolutely no consideration given to the neighbors who would have to live with the project. Doesn't a conditional use permit require the applicant to demonstrate compatibility with existing surrounding uses? In your consideration of this conditional use permit I respectfully ask you to consider the following issues. Reclamation: The old permit requires the applicant to reclaim the pit once extraction is completed. Such reclamation has not occurred. Isn't this a violation? Now the applicant proposes to put off reclamation of the old pit until the new pit is completed because he needs to use the old pit as a staging area. How did he work the old pit without such a staging area? It also makes you wonder if the applicant is concerned about his reclamation plan satisfactorily producing agricultural land. This project area is in an area of "prime" agricultural land as defined by the Soil Conservation Service. Personnel from the Soil Conservation Service have stated that they are not aware of any instances where a gravel pit mined down to Mancos shale has been successfully reclaimed for agriculture. If that is the case, it seems that the proposed plan to place only four feet of material over the Mancos shale is very chancy. If this plan does not produce agricultural land it will just become a worthless pit and an eyesore since the area will also not be useable for residential development. The only way someone could build a septic system in the reclaimed pit would be to put it on top of the ground. This area is very attractive for residential development because of its proximity to Grand Junction, the rural agricultural character of the setting (without gravel operations), and the commanding view of the valley and town. If you haven't seen the project area please take the time to do so. If the Mesa County Gravel Extraction Policy is going to req,.ire tuaC gravel be removed before the at~a i.a subdivided, tt.c mining of the area should not be done in a way that precludes residential development either. Your decision on how to handle this could have far reaching consequences for the future of Orchard Mesa. The bluff south of the Colorado River should not be Left in a checkerboard pattern of worthless pits.