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THE GAZETTE <br />Cobrado Springs, CO <br />(EI Paso County) <br />AM 103,623: Sun, 116,823 <br />TELL IT TO THE CwAZETTE <br />VANISHING WILDERNESS -~ <br />Entire county loses with gravel .pit expansion <br />I totally disagree with The Gazette's <br />reasoning on the Dellacroce gravel pit <br />("Property's priority," Our View, Aug. 30}. In <br />addition, I deeply regret the shortsighted <br />decision of our conmdssioners (the same <br />ones who approved a developer's road <br />through Fox Rwt Park). <br />First, we can't just do what we want with <br />our properly. The long-standing principle of <br />covenants speaks to the matter. Even if <br />they are not written, they exist in moral and <br />common sense. <br />As far as ['m contented, the Dellacroce <br />family has just parked a gigantic motor <br />home in their front yard and told their neigh- <br />bors -there are thousands - to stuff it. <br />The argument that we must, have the <br />gravel, and therefore sacrifice our precious <br />Front Range, is totally without merit. Where <br />does Douglas Cotmty get gravel? Answer, <br />from where it doesn't show -and get dtis <br />- from us down here. <br />Where do all the other places get gravel? <br />1 don't know because it doesn't show. <br />Where did gravel come from where I <br />grew up Lt Iowa? The answer is again [he <br />same. <br />The Dellacroce pi[ is not the oNy place <br />to get gravel, it is only the cheapest and <br />most convenient No wonder the cotnntis- <br />sioners approved i[. <br />-Corwin M. Klppenhan <br />Colorado Springs <br />IN AN AWFUL decision Aug. 26, the EI <br />Paso County commissioners voted [o <br />approve expansion of an existing six-acre <br />gravel pit at Baptist Road and Interstate 25. <br />The approval means we will be treated Ut <br />the gradual expansion of this pit up to 12 <br />times its present size for the next 29 years. <br />The worst thing about this is that the <br />reclamation plan is sketchy at best and <br />provides few safeguards for [he citizens of <br />[his county. Instead of delaying approval <br />until an adequate reclamation plan could be <br />developed, rite commissioners pressed right <br />ahead. ' <br />How in the world the commissioners <br />could approve this expansion with its tooth- <br />less reclantatiort provisions along rite most <br />traveled corridor in this fast-growing cotmty <br />is almost incomprehensible. <br />Douglas County officials and developers <br />must be snickering today as 40 percent of <br />the gravel being mined out of this pit is <br />being tntcked wtt of EI Pasu County and <br />used in Douglas County. Pretty sweet deal <br />for them. <br />Voting to approve were Commissioners <br />The Gazette lile <br />Ed Jones, Betty Beedy and Jeri IIowells. <br />The lone nay vote calve from Chairwan <br />Chuck Brown, who sided with the county's <br />own planning staff recommendation [o <br />disapprove. <br />The commissioners approved this iu spite <br />of the opposition of 9,200 homeowners in <br />the northern part of [he county, represented <br />by a coalition of LS different homeowut•ts <br />associations. <br />There was no need [o rush this approval <br />through prior to the develupuleul of a well- <br />thought-out reclamation plau. When these <br />commissioners run fur office again, mry <br />office, lei's not tbrget huw they chwc Lu <br />vote on this vital quality-of-life is~uc. <br />- Mike Torreano <br />riP„PaoiA <br />C~ <br />J <br />• <br />Do one family's property rights trump the views of others? <br />