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CONFs10S COUNTY CITREN la Jana, CO (Conejos Count') Thu, 668 COLORADO PRESS CLIPPING SERVICE 303.571.5117 Sees . 7776 CJaWm Phd • Gnva, C0 8020/ eeting called to discuss ravel its g p By Frederick Sanchez The mayorsof Anwnito and Manassaand area residents metwilh the Conejos County commis- sioners ataspecial meeting on March 181o dis- cuss plans for a gravel pit ordinance.<whal did they decide to do??, no[ pass it? why?> At the same meeting, the boazd also adopted a preliminary plan that would permit the closure e" ' Antonito dump by May l0 as scheduled. aonito Mayor Eugene DuPont and Manassa MayorJerry Andersonjoined Antonito residents Demetrio and Olive V aldez and the couple's a[- tomey,Beth Garcia of Manassa, and other citi- zens in alively discussion as to the benefits and advisability Cor the adoption of an ordinance to prohibit mining for gravel within a certain dis- [once from the county's incorporated towns and within sight of the Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad andthe designated scenic byways of the county. The controversy over gravel pits empted last year when thecommissionersapproved a grovel miningpermitforB.D. Griffin,a formerresident of Antonito. The land on which the gravel would beezcavated was a shondistance from the south- ern boundary of the town and within view from the railroad and the designated scenic byways south and west of the common iry. Residents of thesouthem portion of thecounty united [o protest the "eyesore piles of din and gravel;' which could be seen from almost every- where inthe vicinity. The controversy became worse when some residents of the area accused the commissioners of having approved the gravel mining permit without giving proper notice of the meeting dur- ingwhich the approval was given by the board. Theboard denied that improper notice had been given, but in order to prevent other misunder- standings over gravel pits, dte commission de- cided to consider and discuss an ordinance that would prohibi[gravel pits from anyplace within one and a half miles from an incorporated town and also from places within view of the railroad and byways. The mayor and other residents from Manassa wereconcemed thatif [heordinancewas adripted, the town would be prevented from obtaining gravel for its dirt roads from a pit already in ezis- tencenearthecommunity.Gravel could become very expensive if brought from a more distant place, they said. The Valdezes, who also have a gravel pitin the proximi[y of Antoniw, protested that the Com- m issionersshould notoullawall gmvelpits close to a town but only those thatdes[roy theaesdtetic valueof theenvironment. No draft of an ordinance was presented by the commissioners, butthe board and thecidzenswho attended the meeting expressed feelings that the discussions had been very beneficial for every- one. Attorney Manin Gonzales was ro mseareh the possible ordinance and present his findings See COUN7Y orr BackPag ~ ~ COUNTY Cantintud from Page lA at the commissioners' meeting on Wednesday, when discussion was to continue. The participants also concluded that. instead of an ordinance, the welfare of everyoneconcemed could best be pre- served by thecountyplanningcommis- sion,whichran detetmineeach appli- cation on its merits. In another important item, the com- missioners decided to contract with MarkPottberg'sTra~¢ Serviceaftertlte Antonito dump inclosed on May l0and until a new dump has been bought by the county for the Antoniw area. A truck provided by the trash serv- icewill be parked at a specific phtce, which will be designated by thecom- missioners,for six hotusduring which the citiuns• of Antonito and the sur- rounding azea will lake their trash w the [tuck far compaction. The days during which trash will be collected will be announced later. The county will pay the trash serv- ice $110perdayduringwhich theauck is in the Antonito area. The coon ry will also pay Mr. Pottberg a fce of $2 for each person who takes trash to the truck. Additional fees will be charged •tothecounty forhugeamounts of trash taken in by an individual, and a $2 Fce will be charged for large appliances. The person who takes trash w the •truck will sign a logsheet with date and time.