HomeMy WebLinkAbout2.0 Staff ReportPROJECT INFORMATION AND STAFF COMMENTS
TYPE OF REVIEW
APPLICANT
LOCATION
SITE INFORMATION
EXISTING ZONING
08/06/07
FJ
Request for Conditional Letter of Map
Revision (CLOMR) for the Scott Pit
Rocks R Us, LLC
River's Edge, LLC
The subject property is located 1/2 mile
east of the main interstate intersection of
Rifle Colorado between the Colorado
River and Interstate 70. (Section 15,
Township 6 South, Range 93 West)
Approximately 93 acres
Agriculture / Industrial (Al)
I. BACKGROUND
In 2005, the County received a Special Use Permit (SUP) application from Rocks R Us,
LLC and River's Edge, LLC for Extraction, Processing and Storage of Natural Resources
for a gravel mining operation on the property shown in the map above known as the Scott
Gravel Pit. The review of the proposal pointed out that the entire project was not only
located in the 100 -year floodplain, but a majority was located in the "floodway" portion of
the floodplain which requires significant analysis be performed to make sure that mining in
the floodway will not impact the floodplain up or down stream of the project.
To that end, the Applicant hired Tetra Tech, Inc to analyze the proposed gravel pit's impact
to the floodplain. This analysis concluded that "the proposed gravel mining operations and
subsequent pond creation along the south overbank of the Colorado River will be in
compliance with the National Flood Insurance Program standards. The developed
conditions of the floodplain elevations are all lower that those under existing conditions."
II. REQUESTED ACTION
As a result of the Tetra Tech analysis, Staff (with the assistance of Resource Engineering)
believes a CLOMR is necessary because the analysis reflects that 1) floodplain and
floodway modifications will occur due to the proposed gravel mining and 2) the project will
occur in areas of the Colorado River that have not been officially mapped. For both of
these reasons, Staff believes a CLOMR is required to be approved by FEMA to be
consistent with the terms of the County's participation in the National Flood Insurance
Program.
In the case of a map revision, the local jurisdiction (Garfield County) becomes the Applicant
to FEMA and requires the Chairman to sign the application. Staff also notes that the
County adopted the FEMA maps as a zoning overlay. If FEMA approved the CLOMR, the
Board will need to approve a zone district amendment to reflect the new mapping changes.