February 26th Commissioners Meeting

The Fremont County Commissioners voted unanimously Tuesday to approve an amendment to a conditional use permit for a quarry at Parkdale that primarily changes the reclamation plan. Front Range Aggregate sought expansion of the sand and gravel mining area from 54.8 acres to 100 acres at their Parkdale operation and proposes to mine to a depth 60 feet below the ground elevation. Front Range Aggregate's primary change in the reclamation plan is to turn the mined out gravel pit into a large water storage area instead of reclaiming it as dry land.

Front Range President Michael Sheahan said once the gravel is mined out in about twelve years they would like to sell the land to perhaps a municipality that has water storage rights. A question remains whether such a lake facility could be made available for recreational uses in another fifteen years. Among the contingencies approved by the Commissioners with the amendment is a requirement that Front Range develop a mitigation plan should the excavation and water storage plan have any detrimental effect on domestic water wells within a 1 1/2 mile radius of the gravel pit.

Commissioner Ed Norden commended the work Front Range has done in maintaining communication with neighbors in the area. Norden said he believed the reason no citizens showed up to testify at the public hearing was directly attributable to the public relations efforts Front Range has accomplished with the neighbors. Commissioner Mike Stiehl also commended Front Range's application saying he appreciated their efforts to mitigate any water well impacts and efforts to perhaps swap some property with the B.L.M. to avoid the future negative visual impact from the granite quarry being mined so high up the mountainside.

The Commissioners also approved an extension of a conditional use permit for Fremont Paving and Redi-Mix to allow completion of reclamation of a gravel pit just north of Florence along the east side of Highway 67. Reclamation was already underway but Fremont Paving had failed to renew the permit. It will now run through June of 2010.

In other business the Commissioners:

• Granted a six month extension for Charles Lohnes to finalize submission of Preliminary Plan contingencies and Final Plat deficiencies for the Lands of Lohnes three lot subdivision along Illinois Avenue north of Canon City;
• Reappointed Glen Smith and John Marietta to the Fremont County Airport Industrial Park Advisory Board;
• Reappointed Danny DeGeorge to the Fremont County Tourism Council;
• Approved a resolution proclaiming March 4th as Fremont County Non-Profit Day. The program theme for this year's event is "Building Bridges for Fremont County" and is set for the afternoon of March 4th at the Holy Cross Abbey.

February 12th Commissioners Meeting

The Fremont County Commissioners voted unanimously to deny a zone change request for 60 acres along the east side of Four Mile Creek following a two hour public hearing. The proposed site is just east of Canon City on the north side of the Arkansas River. An overflow crowd of 130 people packed the Commissioners' meeting room as most assembled to protest the zone change and an accompanying application for a conditional use permit. Jim Javernick sought the zone change from Agricultural Rural to Agricultural Living to enable him to apply for a permit to operate a gravel pit and rock quarry. The Ag Rural zone prohibits such uses. Angela Bellantoni of Environmental Alternatives argued that the zone change would improve the agricultural quality and enhance wildlife habitat in the Four Mile area following the proposed 30 year life of the quarry. Neighboring property owner Ross Jeffrey argued that the ultimate use of the area would be industrial if the Commissioners approved the plan. As the Commissioners voted to deny the zone change, which effectively also killed the gravel pit permit application, Commissioner Ed Norden said he would like to believe that the Planning Commission and other citizens got things right when they adopted the current zoning for the Four Mile area back in the mid 1990's.

The Commissioners also voted to suspend the special review use permit for Top Rail Ranch Recreation Hunting Camp in the Tallahassee area northwest of Canon City. The board had tabled the matter last September until the February 12th meeting urging ranch owner Ron Walker to take the necessary steps to come into compliance regarding violations relating to building permits and a septic system. The permit covers Walker's private elk hunting ranch operations. The Commissioners noted that the Planning Department had received no communication from Walker over the past five months. The board asked that Walker be contacted one last time to attempt to resolve the issues. If Walker fails to do so the Commissioners set the matter to consider termination of the special review use permit at their March 25th meeting.

The Commissioners reappointed Mike Schnobrick to another three year term on the Fremont County Planning Commission and newly appointed Herm Lateer of Canon City to another Planning Commission seat. The board expressed gratitude to Chuck McIntyre for his twenty years of service on the commission. The Commissioners also appointed Rich Thatcher to a seat on the Board of Zoning Adjustment and named Tim Payne as an alternate board member.

In other business the Commissioners:

• Awarded the annual stationery bid to Rocky Mountain Print and Copy for $1,396;
• Approved a resolution increasing the county's mileage reimbursement rate in 2008 to 36 cents per mile when personal vehicles are used by employees;
• and Approved transfers of special review use permits for two wireless communication towers located near Highway 115 and 'K' street at Penrose and a half mile north of Florence along Highway 67 due to ownership changes.
  
  
  

Preserve America Designation for Fremont County

A group of twenty Fremont County civic and government leaders was in Denver February 8th to accept Fremont County's 'Preserve America' designation during the 2008 Saving Places Conference. The occasion was Colorado Preservation Inc.'s 11th Annual Historic Preservation Conference. A coalition of Fremont County civic groups which have an ongoing interest in historical preservation came together last fall to organize the effort to become a 'Preserve America' community.

'Preserve America' is a White House initiative developed in cooperation with the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, the U.S. Department of Interior, and the U.S. Department of Commerce. The Fremont County Commissioners adopted a resolution in December pledging that the community will protect and celebrate our heritage, to use historic assets for economic development and revitalization, to encourage local citizens to get involved in education and heritage tourism programs, and to establish a volunteer board to coordinate the various county interests in historic preservation and heritage tourism.

Fremont County was one of two Colorado Counties honored during a noon luncheon at the 'Saving Places' Conference as the newest 'Preserve America' Communities. Commissioner Ed Norden and Fremont Heritage Advisory Board President Dan Grenard accepted the designation certificate signed by First Lady Laura Bush who is honorary chairwoman of the Preserve America program. Over 500 delegates from around Colorado were in attendance. The 'Preserve America' designation represents the availability for the Fremont Heritage Advisory Council and county leaders to pursue federal grants to enhance Fremont County and preserve our history in a manner that has not been afforded us before.

January 22nd Commissioners Meeting

The Fremont County Commissioners dealt with a very brief agenda of business for their January 22nd regular board meeting. The Commissioners added two new members to the Fremont County Fairboard appointing Marsha Bouchard and Jean Whitehorn.

The Commissioners voted to designate Commissioner Ed Norden to represent the board at a legal settlement conference in Denver on Tuesday, February 12th. Norden would have authority to act on behalf of the board in event any settlement would be arrived at in the case of Ingle vs. Dryer and Webb. The Commissioners later learned that the settlement conference had been canceled for February 12th and instead a mediation session has been scheduled in Colorado Springs for the case on February 25th.

Commissioner Norden also shared information at the meeting about the recent community agency grant awards by the Fremont County Tourism Council. He also discussed the new pie charts developed by county officials detailing how property taxes are distributed in various areas of the county. The color charts are posted outside the offices of the County Treasurer and Assessor and on the internet on the County Treasurer's web page at www.fremontco.com.

The Commissioners also scheduled a public hearing for the February 26th board meeting on a request to extend a conditional use permit for Fremont Paving to allow for continued reclamation work on a gravel pit on the east side of Highway 67 just north of the Arkansas River near Florence.