Appeal of decision that prevented gravel mine development near Colorado River set for Wednesday
Development company says an exception to Dotsero Area Community Plan should not be required
The Eagle County Planning Commission has scheduled a public hearing for 3 p.m. Wednesday regarding a 2020 staff decision stipulating that an exception to a community plan is required for the establishment of a mine near the Colorado River in Dotsero.
In January 2021, the commission voted in favor denying the exception to the Dotsero Area Community Plan, which was requested by Rincon Partners, LLC. The commission, at that time, also denied the issuance of a special use permit for the project.
Testimony from the Dotsero community helped defeat the project in 2021, with one commissioner saying he reevaluated his initial opinion on the project after hearing public comment.
At the 2021 meeting, Dotsero resident Norma Gurrola spoke on behalf of the Latino community in the Two Rivers neighborhood where she lives. She said Spanish speaking residents hadn’t received information about the project.
“All this information was never delivered to them in Spanish,” she said, saying residents weren’t able to “express themselves or ask questions to anybody in their own language.”
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Gurrola also said a gravel pit does not fit in among the needs of the Dotsero community.
“When I first heard about all this project, my first thought was ‘is that really something that … needs to happen?'” she said.
She also said the area is wildlife habitat, which needs to be protected.
“I enjoy watching the eagles while going to stand next to the river,” she said.
The request for an exception to the Dotsero Community Plan was voted down, 4-2.
Following the decision, Rincon Partners filed an appeal, taking issue with the interpretation of the law necessitating the exception to the Dotsero Area Community Plan.
Anyone wishing to attend Wednesday’s meeting will have the option of attending in-person or virtually for public comment.
Pre-registration for in-person or virtual public comment is not required. The virtual public comment link is meet.google.com/nor-qtnr-sge and use code ASD-9240-2022 for access. The link will be available via Google Meet at 3:00 p.m. on April 20. Viewers who do not wish to comment during the meeting can watch live via Eagle County Government Television.
Written public comment: planningcomments@eaglecounty.us.
