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May 15,1999 ~~'~'"'~~s~~'° ', y ~~. Chri s Toebe Staff Planner. Land Use 19epartment, Boulder County A}'~~ ~ I 1yyJ 2045 13th St. Boulder CO 80302 LAIYU ~5`= Dc!'T Dear Mr. Toebe, In response to your notice of Docket application SU-99-04, for a Special Use Review, we offer the following for consideration. The proposed expansion i,s nearly five times larger than the current quarry. The impact of the quarry as it stands now is rather significant with large machinery echoing through the valley, effecting not only residents, but wildlife in the area as well. Observed wildlife includes a variety of species such as bald eagles, several types of hawks, elk, mule deer herds, coyotes and bats. The fact that the Sprague property was patented by the government in 1899, should not be viewed as significant, but rather as acommon-place practice of the time. We appreciate the landowner's historic point-of-view, but it is simply that, their point-of-view. Dan Waters built our home, and was instrumental in developing most of the home-sites on the mountain today. The Sprague property was purchased from Mr. Waters and was part of the sub- division plan which inclm~es the Steamboat Valley Road Association; comprised of all property owners, including the Spragues, our neighbors, and ourselves. The Spragues' involvement in this Association has been limited. We believe it is valid to assume Mr. Waters' intention was to homestead this land rather than mine it to exhaustion for its natural resources. Lyons is a town built on its history as a gateway to the Rockies and a resource for beautiful stone. However, the stom° is no longer mined as it used to be in the "good 'ole days" when men with handtools meticulously removed the stone and shipped it out by vehicles far less invasive than 18 wheel flatbed semi tractor trailer trucks. Today, they rip at the mountain- side with huge machinery, moving tons of material in mere minutes. Those who make their homes here, can, we believe, appreciate how far removed this type of quarrying is from the sentimental notion of those nostalgic days. As the letter indicated, the valley is dotted with old quarry sites. They are still visible decades after abandonmeint. We have great concern regarding any reclamation plans. The other local quarry "reclarrtations"are problematic to their neighbors and the ecosystem in that they produce dust ste~rms and are void of top soil which surely will not sustain growth for years to come. Some f ind the remnants of these quarries attractive and historic, we think the native landscape: is more compelling. It is our hope that if the lands must still be quamed, the reclamation and management be more respectful and considerate of the existing 1999 surroundings. Thank you for your time :md attention. SV~'" relL~ ~~ Natalie and Louis Thacksiton 680 Steamboat Valley Rd.