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~ • • • III IIIIIIIIIIIIIIii 999 CffRONfC Crested Butte P11OT (Gunnison CO Kri, 9, 79 unryJ '`~ ~; `~~ COPPINGg PRESS Co~_ncil voices do~a'~ts about gravel pit by Sandy Fails Crested Butte Town Council members at I a special meeting Thursday, May 26, voiced strong doubts about allowing Cears, Inc. to con- tinue operating the gravel pit on the Etcher ~ Ranch on the south edge of Crested Butte, which the Town is purchasing. The council invited Cears to make a final presentation, particularly discussing eventual reclamation of the pit, at its June 6 meeting. The Town had ronsidered allowing Cears to continue mining gravel at the Etcher Ranch site, in exchange for royalties on gravel Bald to other entities and a reduced price on gravel sup• plied to the Tawa. Gears representatives estimate the pit holds an additional 90,OOD tons of gravel; they would like to remove 30,000 rons of gravel per year for three years. Town Manager Bill Crank estimated if Cears were allowed to operate the gravel pit for the next ye: r, the Town would receive 520,000- 25,000 N royaltiesand reduced cost of materials, with "nn discernable difference" N the appear- aice of the pit. However, council members raised several concerns. "1 feel uncomfortable running a gravel pit out of what I thought was open space," council member Cath Shertersaid. She and othermuncil members said citizens had ex- pressed objections ro the noise, dust and unsightliness of tfie gravel operation. Mayor Jim Schmidt said the gravel opera- tion might not be compatible with the bike path planned between Crested Butte and Riverbend, which might be built this summer. Council members also predicted that ad- ditional excavation at the site would increase the cost of eventually reclaiming the land. Crank said Gears would excavate approx- imately 10,000 rons of additional gravel at the south end of the pit, then remove gravel from the pit bed, lowering it three to five Feet. "Yrn~'r^ creating more to reclaim;' council member Vic ShepaM said. However, council member Mark Reaman felt the Town might get more benefit by allow- ing Cears ro continue mining, by requiring the company to help reclaim the land after excava- tion was complete. "If they stop now, it's the Town's responsi- bility to reclamate the land. if we let them take more gravel, we can negotiate," Reaman said, adding, "It's not waterfalls or wilderness, it's a gravel pit." State highway plans also figure into the Town's decision. The State plans to eventually widen Highway 135 south of Crested Butte, which would entail removing the knob of land adjacent to the highway just above the gravel pit. Crank said the State would probably just push the soil over the hill into the gravel pit, where it could be used to make the steep slope more gentle for reclamation and re-vegetation. The council will consider a final decision on the grave] operation at its June 6 meeting.