The Fremont County Commissioners voted to approve a controversial permit for uranium exploration in the rural Tallahassee area northwest of Canon City but postponed final adoption of permit conditions for another month.
The Commissioners voted 3-0 to approve the conditional use permit for Black Range Minerals to explore for uranium on 8,169 acres of the Taylor Ranch along County Road 2. Black Range said most of their exploration will be confined to 3,000 acres near the center of the ranch property.
Commissioner Mike Stiehl said approval of the exploration permit does not imply mining application approval. Stiehl said that while property values may be impacted, he believes it may be associated more with the stigma of the presence of uranium throughout the Tallahassee area rather than this specific application.
Commissioner Ed Norden said the board's decision was complicated by the fact that so many people made impassioned arguments for and against the application. Norden said the Commissioners didn't make the law of split estates, with different people owning mineral rights versus surface rights, but that's the issue the Commissioners were left to judge in fashioning a solution to try to protect property rights of both.
Of the board's decision, Commission Chairman Larry Lasha said "It was a struggle".
The Commissioners said they had developed a draft of proposed conditions which are available for review by clicking on the link on the home web page of www.fremontco.com. Norden said the conditions are intended to address hours of operation, documentation of a water source, access to the property, possible impacts to county roads, and requirements of a hydrologist monitoring each bore hole when they are sealed. A list of findings adopted in the board's resolution for the permit are also posted on the web site.
The Commissioners will accept additional written comment limited to the proposed conditions through 4:30 p.m., Wednesday, June 25th. Adoption of the final conditions is on the agenda for the board's regular meeting on July 8th.
The Commissioners Monday also conducted a public hearing on a site development plan for the new Penrose Public Library. The library site is located on the northwest corner of Dawson Street and 7th Avenue in Penrose. Karen Olmen of the Library Board requested that the Commissioners waive the requirement for hard surfacing of Dawson and 7th Streets. As recommended by the Planning Commission she said that would add $42,000--$45,000 to their costs and possibly kill the library project. District 2 Road Foreman Gary Wierton disagreed with a proposal to simply put down 4 inches of gravel....saying the roads have serious drainage problems and need to be brought up to county standards or they would simply lose all the gravel in a year.
The final motion by the board agreed to waive paving or chip sealing of those two streets with the county pledging to assist them in bringing the roads up to standards if the library district would go to work to see if they could contact some area contractors who might be willing to donate the necessary gravel. The landscaping requirement was also waived except for replanting of grasses. The Commissioners had general praise for the volunteer efforts that have gone into making the library project happen.
The Commissioners on June 9th also:
The Commissioners voted 3-0 to approve the conditional use permit for Black Range Minerals to explore for uranium on 8,169 acres of the Taylor Ranch along County Road 2. Black Range said most of their exploration will be confined to 3,000 acres near the center of the ranch property.
Commissioner Mike Stiehl said approval of the exploration permit does not imply mining application approval. Stiehl said that while property values may be impacted, he believes it may be associated more with the stigma of the presence of uranium throughout the Tallahassee area rather than this specific application.
Commissioner Ed Norden said the board's decision was complicated by the fact that so many people made impassioned arguments for and against the application. Norden said the Commissioners didn't make the law of split estates, with different people owning mineral rights versus surface rights, but that's the issue the Commissioners were left to judge in fashioning a solution to try to protect property rights of both.
Of the board's decision, Commission Chairman Larry Lasha said "It was a struggle".
The Commissioners said they had developed a draft of proposed conditions which are available for review by clicking on the link on the home web page of www.fremontco.com. Norden said the conditions are intended to address hours of operation, documentation of a water source, access to the property, possible impacts to county roads, and requirements of a hydrologist monitoring each bore hole when they are sealed. A list of findings adopted in the board's resolution for the permit are also posted on the web site.
The Commissioners will accept additional written comment limited to the proposed conditions through 4:30 p.m., Wednesday, June 25th. Adoption of the final conditions is on the agenda for the board's regular meeting on July 8th.
The Commissioners Monday also conducted a public hearing on a site development plan for the new Penrose Public Library. The library site is located on the northwest corner of Dawson Street and 7th Avenue in Penrose. Karen Olmen of the Library Board requested that the Commissioners waive the requirement for hard surfacing of Dawson and 7th Streets. As recommended by the Planning Commission she said that would add $42,000--$45,000 to their costs and possibly kill the library project. District 2 Road Foreman Gary Wierton disagreed with a proposal to simply put down 4 inches of gravel....saying the roads have serious drainage problems and need to be brought up to county standards or they would simply lose all the gravel in a year.
The final motion by the board agreed to waive paving or chip sealing of those two streets with the county pledging to assist them in bringing the roads up to standards if the library district would go to work to see if they could contact some area contractors who might be willing to donate the necessary gravel. The landscaping requirement was also waived except for replanting of grasses. The Commissioners had general praise for the volunteer efforts that have gone into making the library project happen.
The Commissioners on June 9th also:
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Approved a special review use permit for Alltel Communications to erect a 100 foot wireless monopole tower on a 62 acre site owned by Jean Colon. The property is located directly southeast of the corner of Highway 50 and MacKenzie Avenue at the east edge of Canon City;
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Re-appointed Robert Henderson to the Fremont County Airport Advisory Board;
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Approved a special events permit for the Fremont Fairs and Shows Association's Ranch Rodeo on July 26th at the rodeo grounds south of Canon City;
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Approved a list of thirteen combined polling places for Fremont County's 30 precincts in the August primary election and November general election.