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HomeMy WebLinkAbout3.0 Staff Report 01.14.2008PROJECT INFORMATION AND STAFF COMMENTS TYPE OF REQUEST APPLICANT LOCATION SITE INFORMATION EXISTING ZONING 01/14/08 FJ Application for a Conditional Letter of Map Revision for the Scott Gravel 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) Scott Gravel Pit BOCC 01/14/08 Page 2 1. BACKGROUND The Applicant had applied to the County in 2005 for a Special Use Permit (SUP) for Extraction, Processing, Storage, and Material Handling of Natural Resources in order to operate a gravel mining operation just east of the City of Rifle between 1-70 and the Colorado River. The majority of the property subject to mining is also located in the 100 - year floodplain of the Colorado River. More importantly, a significant portion of the area to be mined is also located in the more restrictive "floodway" portion of the floodplain. [As you are aware, in order for the County to maintain is participation in the Federal Emergancy Management Agency's (FEMA) Flood Insurance Rate Program, the County is required to include FEMA regulations within the County's Land Use Code. More specifically, the Floodplain Maps have been adopted by the County as overlay zoning districts and specific regulations which is the way the program is implemented at the County level.] Because the proposed gravel operation will result in extensive cut and fill activity within the "floodway" portion of the 100 -year floodplain (as shown above in the illustration), the Applicant is required to demonstrate that this activity will not result in a change to the floodwaters up and downstream from the operation. To this end, the Applicant hired Tetra Tech, Inc. to perform this analysis which shows that the base flood elevations and the floodway line generally follow the existing mapping, except for a reach through the project site which will affect lands owned by the City of Rifle and the Applicant. 11. REQUEST To address this change a map showing the change requires approval by FEMA via a Conditional Letter of Map Revision (CLOMR). The County is required by FEMA to be the signature on the Application to FEMA. Therefore, the Applicants (Rocks R Us, LLC and 2 Scott Gravel Pit BOCC 01/14/08 Page 3 River's Edge, LLC) request the Board authorize the Chairman to sign the FEMA Application. III. COUNTY REVIEW OF APPLICATION Resource Engineering, on behalf of Garfield County, reviewed the Application and ultimately believes "the technical analysis is sound and meets the standard of practice for a CLOMR submittal and recommends the County accept and concur with the analysis." The Board should also be aware that signing the Application does not approve or guarantee approval of any pending Special Use Permit review. FEMA will do a full analysis and will either approve, ask for additional information, or deny the Application. (See attached letter.) City of Rifle Water Intake Facilities Site to be mined 3 ""'RESOURCE ■■■■■ ■ ■■■■ ■ ■■■■ E N G I N E E R I N G INC. Mr. Fred Jarman, Director Garfield County Building and Planning Dept 108 8th Street, Suite 201 Glenwood Springs CO 81601 RE: United Companies Scott Pit Request for FEMA Conditional Letter of Map Revision (CLOMR) Dear Fred: NOV 0 9 2007 November 5, 2007 At the request of Garfield County, Resource Engineering, Inc. (RESOURCE) has reviewed the "Request for Conditional Letter of Map Revision — Colorado River at Scott Pit", prepared by Tetra Tech, Inc. and dated October 2007. The request is submitted by United Companies and seeks concurrence by the County Floodplain Official for submittal to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The existing floodplain mapping in the subject study area includes FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Map and Floodway Map (Panel 1354 of 1900), effective January 3, 1986, and the Flood Plain Study Colorado River and Tributaries prepared by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) dated December 1982. The proposed CLOMR FEMA mapping would cover the Colorado River upstream of the current coverage on Panel 1354. The proposed base flood elevations and the floodway line generally follow the existing mapping, except for the reach through the proposed Scott Pit project. The changed condition would affect land owned by the City of Rifle, Rocks R Us, LLC and Rivers Edge, LLC. The final technical report prepared by Tetra Tech, Inc. is the culmination of a review process that included two technical progress review meetings, an initial report dated May 2007, and a review meeting at the City of Rifle. The City of Rifle, Rocks R Us, LLC and Rivers Edge, LLC were provided copies of the initial and final reports, and participated in at least one of the review meetings. It is our understanding that these property owners who are affected by a change in the location of the floodway (either different from the FEMA map or the USACE/CWCB Map) concur with the technical analysis for the proposed CLOMR. RESOURCE believes the technical analysis is sound and meets the standard of practice for a CLOMR submittal. We recommend the County accept and concur with the analysis for submittal to FEMA. The submittal will be thoroughly reviewed by FEMA's technical staff and subcontractor prior to taking action on the CLOMR. FEMA can either issue the CLOMR, ask for additional information, or deny the request. Consulting Engineers and Hydrologists 909 Colorado Avenue ■ Glenwood Springs, CO 81 601 • (970) 945-6777 IN Fax (970) 945-1137 Mr. Fred Jarman, Director Page 2 Please call if you have any questions or need additional information. Sincerely, RESOURCE E G EERING, INC. Michae Water Res rces Engineer MJE/mmm 885-36.0 K:1Clients1885 GARC0136.0 Glen's Pit fjjarman Scott Pitt Fema 885.doc CC: Peggy Bailey, P.E., Tetra Tech, Inc. Jeff Simonson, P.E., SGM John Hier, Rifle City Manager Bill Bailey, Rocks R Us, LLC and Rivers Edge, LLC November 5, 2007 RESOURCE ■•••• E N G I N E E R I N G I N C.