2005-07-13_REVISION - M2000016 (14)

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USR APPLICATION Project Overview General The proposed Riverbend permit site is located southwest of the State Highway 52 and U.S. Highway 85 intersection, near Ft. Lupton, Colorado. The 1,191-acre site is bound on the north by State Highway 52, east by U.S. Highway 85 and the South Platte River, Weld County Road (WCR) 6 to the south, and WCR 23 to the west. The existing mining operation and low density residential land uses lie immediately to the south of this property. Predominately agricultural land uses lie to the north and west. Industrial, commercial and residential uses exist east of the site, along U.S. Highway 85. Mining activities are anticipated to disturb approximately 860 acres of the site. Two Mined Land Reclamation Board (MLRB) permits have been issued to property within the proposed Riverbend project boundary. An MLRB permit for the Ft. Lupton Pit was issued in 1985 (M-1985-088)_ The Riverbend mining site, south of the Ft. Lupton Pit, was issued a MLRB permit (M-2000-016) in 2000. In 2004, Lafarge submitted an amendment to the DMG to consolidate the Ft. Lupton Pit and Riverbend DMG permits, include additional properties, modify the existing mine plan, modify the current reclamation plan, and increase processing capacity at the facility. This Use by Special Review application is being submitted to Weld County as part of Lafarge's goal to expand their mining operations at the Riverbend site. The Site is comprised of 18 parcels owned or leased by Lafarge. The mining wilt be conducted in nine Phases; each with one to five associated mine cells. The proposed Riverbend site is partiai[y within the City of Ft. Lupton's Urban Growth Area (UGA). The City is currently updating their Comprehensive Plan and the UGA boundary, which may be expanded to include more of the Riverbend site. The Riverbend Site is currently not contiguous to Ft. Lupton's city boundary, and therefore is not eligible for annexation. However, Lafarge has continued to communicate with the City on the status of the mining and reclamation plans and the ongoing permitting process. Since the fall of 2004, Lafarge and Tetra Tech RMC have been working with Ft. Lupton to develop plans for Riverbend that respond to the City's concerns (see Figure 1 Opportunity and Constraints Map). Various meetings with City planning staff and the City mayor have influenced details of both the mining and reclamation plans. The reclamation plan incorporates trails, parkland, open space, and potential residential development sites that are consistent with the City's long term goals and objectives. Lafarge has also been in close contact with the US Army Corps of Engineers, EPA, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and the Colorado Division of Wildlife to discuss the Lafarge West, /nc..-Riverbend Weld Coanry USR Permi( Page 4 oJ4!