Background

or the third time in 15 years, a large quarry has been proposed near Eldorado Canyon to mine construction

Figure 1. Aerial photo of proposed quarry site adjacent to Eldorado Canyon State Park. "These photos (Figures 1, 2 & 3) were taken from an Experimental Aircraft RV6, built and operated by Pete Fox. Pete flew me over the proposed quarry site in the south draw tributary of South Boulder Canyon on Saturday afternoon, October 17, 1998. It was amazing to me to see how little there was to stop noise or visual pollution from affecting the open space areas to the north of the proposed quarry. You can see from these pictures that south draw will probably act as an amphitheater directing sound to the north." -Neil Blank    (Click images for larger view.)

aggregates. First proposed and defeated in 1983, and then again in 1990, a new attempt is underway to rezone the property for development of a 142-acre open-pit mine. A processing facility and rail spur would be carved out of an additional 24 acres. Up to 1.5 million tons of rock per year would be blasted out and crushed, with mining continuing for 50-60 years.

The proposed quarry is located in the South Draw tributary to Eldorado Canyon, in Jefferson County on the Boulder County - Jeffco line. The site is adjacent to Walker Ranch Park, and is contiguous to western portions of Eldorado Canyon State Park and a little more than 1/2 mile from the main park. The quarry would be visible from the state park and Walker Ranch Park, as well as from Boulder Mountain Park, Boulder Open Space, parts of Boulder, the south entrance to Boulder along U.S. Hwy 36, and nearby residential properties in Boulder and Jefferson Counties.

In May of 1998, the current owners of the property, Asphalt Paving Company, submitted the latest request to rezone the property to allow mining. Their proposal is now before the Jefferson County Planning Commission, and is being evaluated by county staff. A public hearing by the planning commission is scheduled for February 24, 1999. The planning commission will submit their non-binding recommendations to the Jefferson County Commissioners, who will also hold a public hearing. The Jefferson County Commissioners will make the final decision.

History of previous quarry rezoning proposals and denials

In 1983,the first quarry rezoning proposal was denied by the Jefferson County Commissioners because it was

Figure 2. Photo of proposed quarry site looking down the south draw tributary of South Boulder Canyon.

deemed incompatible with the existing, surrounding mountain residential and recreational land use. In 1990, a second proposal was submitted, but was withdrawn before reaching the commission. When the 1983 rezoning proposal was denied, the applicants filed suit in District Court on grounds that the proposal met state standards. Jefferson County argued that state standards were only a beginning point for mitigating the impacts of quarries, and that it could apply more rigorous standards. The District Court agreed with Jefferson County, and the County's decision to deny the quarry was further upheld by the Colorado Court of Appeals.

The current proposal is very similar to the one denied in 1983 (in fact, 40 percent of the current application is recycled from the 1983 documents.) But it is more intensive than the previous proposals in several important aspects. It allows final rock crushing to be done on-site, permits a higher vertical cut, allows structures to be twice as high (and free-standing lighting three times as high), and has no zoning enforcement provisions. Transportation of crushed rock to market would be by rail, as in the earlier proposals.

What land uses are currently allowed, and what would a zoning change mean?

The subject property is zoned Agricultural-1 which allows agricultural and low density residential land uses,

Figure 3. Photo of proposed quarry site adjacent to Eldorado State Park.

but does not allow mining. The zoning was established and applied in 1956, well before the current owners purchased the property in 1991. Open space and mountain residential properties surround the proposed quarry site. Scar Top Mountain (within the rezoning boundary) is identified by Jefferson County as a visual resource. The property includes winter range for elk and deer, and Jefferson County has for years planned to link adjacent Boulder County and Jeffco open space trails with a new trail directly through the quarry site.

Aggregate mining is an extremely intensive and destructive land use. Impacts include air and water quality degradation, increased noise, habitat loss, groundwater depletion, depressed property values, and visual intrusion. The rezoning proposal complies only with minimal federal and state industrial standards that do little to protect surrounding communities, parks and open space. Mining land use would be allowed by right, and development could not later be conditioned on compatibility with adjacent land uses.

Public input on the rezoning proposal

Public input is strongly encouraged by Jefferson County throughout the rezoning process. Your letters will make a difference, and should be sent in soon to have the most impact. The address is:

Please attend the Planning Commission hearing on the quarry this February 24th. The Jeffco Director of Planning (Richard Turner) may be contacted at 303-271-8771 for confirmation of the meeting time or for further information.

This information is provided by Crescent Park Homeowners Association, Coal Creek Canyon Residents, and Citizens for Eldorado Canyon.