Master Plan for Mineral Extraction Douglas County
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MASTER PLAN FOR MINERAL EXTRACTION DOUGLAS COUNTY July 9, 1990 Redline-strikethrough of original document ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS Jim Sullivan, Chairman Chris Christensen Suzy McDanal PLANNING COMMISSION Neil Hillyard, Chairman Ken Gloss, Vice-Chairman Duane Capps, Secretary Davis Ammons Dora D'Amico David Gill Neil McLaughlin Stanley Mikelson Clyde Tucker MINERAL EXTRACTION PLANNING TASK FORCE Lou Pakiser, Chairman Davis Ammons Jeanette Bare Duane Capps Dora D'Amico Harvey DuChene Kelli Fallbach David Gill Ken Gloss Sally Hardy Neil Hillyard Tony Johnson John Lowell Mike Maxwell JoeAnn Mickelsen Norma Stone Clyde Tucker Ray Waterman Mike Refer, Conferee Jane Woodward, Conferee PLANNING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT Ed Tepe, Director A special thanks to all of the individual citizens, homeowner associations, and referral agencies too numerous to list, whose time, energy, and resourcefulness contributed to the creation of this document. Amendment to Mineral Extraction Plan - DRAFT Project No. DR2016-001 Redline version, Jan 10, 2018, Page 2 of 87 TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION 1 CHAPTER 2 GEOLOGY 5 CHAPTER 3 SUPPLY AND DEMAND 21 CHAPTER 4 LEGAL CONSIDERATIONS 29 CHAPTER 5 LAND USE 33 CHAPTER 6 TRANSPORTATION 41 CHAPTER 7 WILDLIFE 47 CHAPTER 8 HISTORIC, ARCHAEOLOGIC, & PALEONTOLOGIC RESOURCES 49 CHAPTER 9 AIR QUALITY 51 CHAPTER 10 WATER QUALITY 57 CHAPTER 11 NOISE 63 CHAPTER 12 BLASTING 67 CHAPTER 13 OPEN SPACE, PARKS, AND RECREATION 71 CHAPTER 14 VISUAL IMPACT 75 CHAPTER 15 RECLAMATION 79 CHAPTER 16 IMPLEMENTATION 83 Amendment to Mineral Extraction Plan - DRAFT Project No. DR2016-001 Redline version, Jan 10, 2018, Page 3 of 87 TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................................... x BACKGROUND ........................................................................................................................... x PURPOSE ................................................................................................................................... x IMPLEMENTATION ..................................................................................................................... x GEOLOGY................................................................................................................................... x LEGAL CONSIDERATIONS ........................................................................................................ x GOAL AND POLICY .................................................................................................................... x APPENDIX A – GLOSSARY ........................................................................................................ x APPENDIX B – STATE STATUTE............................................................................................... x MINERAL RESOURCES MAP................................................................................................... xx Amendment to Mineral Extraction Plan - DRAFT Project No. DR2016-001 Redline version, Jan 10, 2018, Page 4 of 87 2 MAP AND GRAPHS PAGE BEDROCK AQUIFERS 17 DENVER BASIN GEOLOGIC SECTIONS 18 POTENTIAL RESOURCES 19 DEMAND SCENARIO 1 25 DEMAND SCENARIO 2 26 Amendment to Mineral Extraction Plan - DRAFT Project No. DR2016-001 Redline version, Jan 10, 2018, Page 5 of 87 INTRODUCTION On September 12, 1989, the Douglas County Board of Commissioners declared a moratorium on the issuance of mineral extraction permits. In declaring the moratorium, the Board called for a comprehensive, county-wide, mineral extraction plan to be developed and adopted before the moratorium expires on September 12, 1990. The mineral extraction plan has been prepared in accordance with the standards set forth in the Preservation of Mineral Deposits Act (see Legal Considerations chapter), required of all counties upon the attainment of a population of 65,000. Although Douglas County has not yet reached a population of 65,000, it is expected to do so in 1992. At that time, Douglas County will already have a comprehensive mineral extraction plan in place. The Mineral Extraction Planning Task Force, the Planning Commission, and the Board of County Commissioners have produced a plan that sets out the County's mineral extraction policies. The plan should be used by applicants, extractors, and citizens to understand the issues that will be raised in the land use application process. It also is intended as a starting point for changes to the special use application and review process. Included in the plan are recommendations for incorporating new processes, criteria, and standards in Douglas County regulations. The process began with the appointment of the Mineral Extraction Planning Task Force. The task force includes representatives of the mineral extraction industry who are residents of Douglas County, the Planning Commission, citizens from each County Commissioner's district, the Governor's Task Force on Mountain Scars, and The Planning Department. The Board then contracted with CDR Associates to act as facilitators and to work with the appointed chairman and the task force to manage the task force meetings through a consensus process. On December 13, 1989, a representative of the Town of Castle Rock was appointed as a task force member. The Town of Parker was also invited to appoint a representative. After introductory meetings, the Board of Commissioners appointed two conferees to act as advisors to the task force and to help create an open and thorough planning process. One conferee represents the Colorado Environmental Coalition, and one represents the Colorado Rock Products Association. The task force set out to create a document that would address the following tasks: Clearly assert the County's land use jurisdiction over mineral extraction operations Enumerate the policies that should govern the approval of mineral extraction Discuss the full range of impacts created by extractive uses Contain criteria to be applied to applications for new or expanded operations Form the basis for amendments to the Douglas County Zoning and Subdivision Resolutions Guide decision-makers in properly reviewing extraction applications BALANCE The plan attempts to balance the County's real need for clay and rock products against the potential and real negative impacts of extraction. The quality of life in Douglas County was at the center of the deliberations. A quality living environment is clearly dependent on the mineral resources this plan seeks to regulate. Mineral extraction is necessary in the development of Amendment to Mineral Extraction Plan - DRAFT Project No. DR2016-001 Redline version, Jan 10, 2018, Page 6 of 87 homes, roads, and office buildings and, therefore, is part of the County's economic viability. Reclaimed mineral extraction sites, moreover, provide opportunities for wildlife habitat, trail corridors, and other active and passive recreational uses. The quality living environment enjoyed by County residents also needs to be protected. We must balance the benefits of extraction against the potential loss of those things that make Douglas County's environment so attractive, including, but not limited to, scenic values and wildlife habitat. Mineral extraction has the potential of disrupting urban and rural lifestyles. The County's residential areas are blessed with outstanding panoramic views of mesas and foothills, and they are nestled in valleys supporting widely varied vegetation, rock formations, and wildlife. Many residents and business owners chose Douglas County for its pastoral quality, unique geographic diversity, and clean environment. The County, therefore, has a fundamental responsibility to address mineral extraction needs while also protecting these highly valued resources without which Douglas County's economy will not flourish. THE PLAN AS A RESOURCE Throughout the deliberation process the mineral extraction plan was referred to as a resource for the extraction industry, for the policy-makers, and for the citizens of the County. As a product of that philosophy, the document contains descriptions of the County's geologic framework, which defines the character, occurrence, and extent of its mineral resources. The document also specifically addresses the supply and demand for rock products. It also discusses the legal framework surrounding the mineral extraction plan and local land use review. These three chapters are designed to provide background information. The task force hopes to pass along to the user of the plan some of what was learned as the plan was developed. The prose that accompanies each policy section is likewise written with an educational objective to shed light on the reasons for adopting the policies which follow. The structure and outline of the document is meant to reflect the structure of the Douglas County Master Plan. At the completion of the hearing process, the plan will be incorporated into the Master Plan and the Master Plan will be amended to remove duplications or conflicts. In addition to meeting the statutory requirements for a mineral extraction plan, and the charge of the Board of County Commissioners, the task force sought to fulfill the commitment made by the Planning Commission in the 1986 Master Plan and the 1989 Franktown Sub Area Plan to develop a county-wide, mineral extraction plan. IMPLEMENTATION Implementation is emphasized throughout the plan. This plan is not merely a statement of recommended policies;