County limits hours for new Timberline gravel pit

By Dan MacArthur
North Forty News

Aggregate Industries received approval to open a new gravel pit northeast of LaPorte with some stronger strings attached to avoid the same shoddy operations that have afflicted neighbors of the company's pit on Taft Hill Road.

The Larimer County Commissioners on Sept. 12 unanimously approved Aggregate's proposal to open the 78-acre Timberline pit on a 295-acre site between Overland Trail and Taft Hill Road. Sand and gravel would be mined in phases over seven to 10 years, starting when supplies are depleted from its Stegner pit on Taft Hill Road and County Road 54G.

Buttressed by harsh criticisms from residents during the nearly three-hour hearing, the commissioners rejected Aggregate's appeal to extend operating hours recommended by the county planning commission.

The company had asked to operate from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. weekdays and 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays. The planning commission instead recommended no weekend operations and weekday hours limited to 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

The county commissioners agreed to prohibit Saturday operations but approved weekday operations from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. The first half hour would be limited to maintenance and warm-up. Regular operations could continue from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. with the pit to be closed a half-hour later.

The commissioners also compromised on another planning commission recommendation that Aggregate use electrical-grid power to minimize diesel motor noise and vibration. Instead, they gave the company the option of using either grid electricity or soundproof diesel generators during daytime operations, depending on which is most economical. But it must use electrical-grid power to operate dewatering pumps at night.

All agreed that the current plan represented a vast improvement over the controversial original one withdrawn two years ago after arousing wide opposition. The former plan included a concrete and asphalt batch plant and called for mining nearly three times the territory now proposed. The revised plan also relocates access to the site from Overland Trail to Highway 287.

Aggregate continued to face harsh condemnations by critics who successfully cast doubts about its competence and credibility given the broken promises surrounding the company's operation of the Stegner pit. A chorus of Aggregate officials and consultants did not challenge the criticisms.

"It's unfortunate Aggregate's reputation has preceded them," said commissioner Karen Wagner. Given the doubts, Wagner suggested granting the company a two-year approval. That way it could return and demonstrate it had met all conditions of approval before receiving an extension. Commissioner Glenn Gibson countered with the suggestion of a one-year approval.

Commissioner Kathay Rennels noted, however, that the county already has the ability to revoke the company's permit. Rather than requiring a full-blown public hearing so frequently, she instead suggested that Aggregate be required to submit an annual status report. It would address issues such as the company's efforts to resolve neighborhood complaints and maintain compliance with the conditions of approval. Wagner and Gibson agreed to her proposal.

The commissioners also added a condition requiring that haul truck traffic be monitored. If statistics show a marked increase in the number of trucks turning left onto westbound Highway 287, the county or state Department of Transportation could require construction of acceleration lanes making it safer for trucks to merge into traffic.