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Gravel mine, marijuana grow hearings set for Eagle County planning commission Wednesday

A view of an area near Dotsero where a gravel mine has been proposed. The plan would preserve the rock that faces the river, instead mining behind the river before developing long-term plans for irrigated fields in the area. Chris Dillmann
Daily archive photo

The Eagle County Planning Commission will host virtual hearings, and could take action Wednesday on applications for gravel mining near the Colorado River and marijuana cultivation near Gypsum Creek.

The gravel mine applicant, Rincon Materials, is seeking a major special use permit for a sand and gravel pit on the north side of Highway 6; the 107-acre permit area is expected to take 10 years to mine at roughly 225,000 tons per year, with two years upon completion for reclamation. The mine also requires an exception to the 2012 Dotsero Area Community Plan.

Eagle County Community Development staff is recommending denial of both the special use permit and the Dotsero Area Community Plan exception, saying the mine is not in conformance with the Dotsero plan nor the Eagle County Comprehensive Plan. Written public comments are welcome through Tuesday and can be submitted by sending an email to colton.berck@eaglecounty.us.



The marijuana cultivation applicant, TNT Botanicals, currently operates a 2-acre outdoor marijuana cultivation in Gypsum Creek, and is seeking to increase it to 40 acres, with 25,600 square feet of marijuana manufacturing and processing structures including a greenhouse, three barns, 30 shipping containers, 22 parking spaces and two new water storage ponds.

Eagle County Community Development staff is recommending approval of the expansion, saying it meets all standards of approval and requirements for a special use permit, as long as the construction of the two water storage ponds protect natural resources, the buildings follow the applicable stream setback requirements, and the facility has a legal water supply for its potable and non-potable water requirements. Written public comments are welcome through Tuesday and can be submitted by sending an email to tez.hawkins@eaglecounty.us.

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Wednesday’s Eagle County Planning Commission virtual meeting will be broadcast live on http://www.ecgtv.com and on channel 18 on cable systems in the Eagle River Valley. People who wish to attend the virtual meeting can register to attend the meeting via Zoom by visiting https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_4yzq9D3YSMCXZNs__HhuBQ, and those who wish to comment live can by joining the virtual public comment registration list at https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1iUa7fLdhV_5DaXK4iENcCGmPqEglXHKh6dFwyEgK0RA/edit#gid=275696934 (check the bottom of the page for the correct tab, Gypsum Creek is for the marijuana cultivation and Rincon is for the gravel mine).


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