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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAGENDA REPORT 2001 0919 CC REG ITEM 10EITEM of���� a� ame.v�dPc(�rl..�F -b brim MOORPARK CITY COUNCIL- pm ( (-, p n r0�3� 145i AGENDA REPORT m G1 ►^nay_ TO: Honorable City Council FROM: Wayne Loftus, Director of Community Development Prepared by: John Libiez, Planning Manager /Advanced "�v DATE: September 12, 2001 (CC Meeting of 9/19/01) SUBJECT: CONSIDER PROPOSED MODIFICATIONS TO AGGREGATE MINING OPERATIONS IN UNINCORPORATED VENTURA COUNTY FOR GRIMES ROCK (CUP 4874), BEST ROCK PRODUCTS (CUP 4171) AND WAYNE J. SAND AND GRAVEL (CUP 4571); COUNTY OF VENTURA BACKGROUND Grimes Rock, Best Rock, and Wayne J. Sand and Gravel located in unincorporated area of Ventura County between Moorpark and Fillmore provide aggregate resources from operating mineral extraction sites within the City of Moorpark Area of Interest. Grimes Rock and Best Rock have mining sites located adjacent to Grimes Canyon Road (SR -23) southerly and proximate to the City of Fillmore. Wayne J. operates a mineral extraction site northerly of Broadway just north of the Moorpark City limits off of Fruitvale (This was the original Quality Rock mining site) . Each mineral extraction site is operated subject to provisions of a reclamation plan and Conditional Use Permit approved and administered by Ventura County, consistent with State Mining and Reclamation Act (SMARA) provisions. These aggregate producers are now proposing to increase their mining operations that will require additional truck trips, most of which are proposed to travel through the City of Moorpark. A traffic report has been furnished for review and the County has provided application - related materials for preliminary review and comment by interested parties. The County upon receipt of comments will make an environmental document determination. DISCUSSION Each of the three identified mineral extraction operators has requested modifications to their operations that are governed by M:\ JLibiez \M \AggregateCCstfRpt.doc '`rig. }'��� Aggregate Mining Permit Modifications September 19, 2001 Page 2 a Conditional Use Permit granted by the County of Ventura. The following information summarizes these proposed modifications: Best Rock Products Corporation (Modification 3) Expand mining operations from 101 acres to 108 acres. (6.9% increase) Increase production from 1 million tons /year to 2.5 million tons /year. (150% increase) Install /operate portable concrete ready mix and asphalt batch plant. Limit truck trips from 402 one -way trips /day to 656 one -way trips /day with maximum single day trips limited to 696. Set expiration for CUP to 20 years after project approval. Grimes Rock (Major Modification) Increase permit life from 2013 to 2021 (8 years) Expand production from 1.1 million tons /year to 1.8 million tons. (63% increase) Expand maximum truck trips from 300 one -way trips /day to 460 one -way trips /day with a peak day of 600 one -way trips. (53 .3 % increase) Expand operational boundary from 164 acres to 204 acres. (24% increase) Expand mining extraction limits from 46 acres to 127 acres. (176% increase) Change haul route to allow project to serve customers other than State Ready Mix in Saticoy. (This would mean any aggregate receiver at any location other than Saticoy presumably Countywide.) Increase hours of operation for extraction /processing from 6A.M. to dusk to 24 hours /day. Increase operation period to include Saturdays. (20% increase) Wayne J. Sand and Gravel Increase one -way truck trips from 72 trips /day to 460 one - way trips /day. (538% increase) The County of Ventura defines proposed haul routes for the delivery of mining operation materials. Two routes have been designated. These are the Northern and Southern haul routes. The Northern route leaves the designated production facilities and proceeds north on Grimes Canyon Road (SR -23) to Highway 126 in the City of Fillmore. The Southern route departs the facilities and follows Grimes Canyon Road south to Broadway, east on Broadway to Walnut Canyon Road, south of Walnut Canyon PO Aggregate Mining Permit Modifications September 19, 2001 Page 3 Road to its transition as Moorpark Avenue, Moorpark Avenue to SR -118, SR -118 to Spring Road, Spring Road to East (old) Los Angeles Avenue to the existing Ready Mix concrete plant. The County also allows for "local delivery" routes, but has not provided a clear definition for these routes other than they utilize local streets and the two described basic haul routes to deliver products to community areas. City Council and staff have on several occasions expressed concerns with the volume of truck traffic entering the City and traversing major arterial roadways. Comments related to use of the southern haul route (Walnut Canyon Road) have been shared with Ventura County previously in conjunction with potential increases in truck trips on that corridor or when the County shifted all trips from routing on Grimes Canyon Road to Walnut Canyon Road for connection to SR -118. The current operations and the proposed increased truck trips have been eliminated from Grimes Canyon Road southerly of Broadway. All aggregate deliveries that are assigned to the southern haul route utilize the Walnut Canyon Road corridor. The following table depicts the current truck trips per day and the anticipated change that could result based upon the current proposal to modify the Use Permits for the referenced operators: Average Trips /Day Comparisons Southern Route Company Current Total Proposed Total Increase $ Increase Grimes Rock 300 300 0 0% Best Rock 402 656 ( *463) 254 ( *61) 63.0% ( *15.1 %) Wayne J. 1 74 460 1 386 521.0% Total 776 1416 ( *1223) 640 ( *447) 82.4% ( *57.6 %) Note: ATE Traffic Engineers estimates each truck trip is equivalent of 2 passenger cars for the Moorpark corridor. * Indicates portion estimated to be assigned to Southern route after permit modification. There is a question as to whether the numbers in the traffic report accurately reflect the previous trips /day identified in prior correspondence issued by the County. Staff would also question the validity of the passenger car equivalency (PCE) ratio of two to one (2:1), used for Moorpark, as compared to the ratio of three to one (3:1) assigned to Fillmore. A PCE Aggregate Mining Permit Modifications September 19, 2001 Page 4 represents the total number of equivalent automobile trips that each truck produces. It is important to note that no trips are assigned to Grimes Canyon Road south of Broadway. Trips previously assigned there were transferred to the Walnut Canyon Road corridor by the County as part of previous permit adjustment approvals under a determination that the Grimes Road corridor and the intersection at SR -118 presented safety risks due to turning movements and traffic volume. As identified in the application materials, mitigation fees will be assessed to the mining operators to mitigate impacts to roadways resulting from the proposed increase in mining activity. Removal or at least reduction of truck trips along the central corridor of the City where there are significant conflicts with autos, children and seniors should be the goal of any modifications to these County Use Permits. Council will recall that as a condition of the Toll Brothers Modification No.2, the County Public Works Department required that Toll Brothers participate in improvements to the intersection of Grimes Canyon Road and SR -118. Those improvements include signals, acceleration and deceleration lanes, and left turn lanes from Grimes Canyon Road onto SR -118 and from SR -118 onto Grimes Canyon Road. Currently the estimated cost to Toll, which includes engineering and construction, is approximately $250,000.00. The previous County rationale for removing truck trips on Grimes Canyon Road because of the difficulty of turning movements at the intersection of Grimes Canyon Road and SR -118 would seem to be invalid based upon the requirements for the Toll Brothers project. Based upon the issue of public safety, circulation, the potential to minimize congestion, and traffic conflicts, Grimes Canyon Road should be considered for truck traffic. Actions at this time might include: 1. Direct the City Traffic Engineer to review and comment on the traffic report; 2. Have staff prepare comments expressing opposition to the proposed modification and present conditions for inclusion to the modification approvals. Aggregate Mining Permit Modifications September 19, 2001 Page 5 3. Have staff attend appropriate public hearings and make presentations expressing opposition to the proposed modifications of the Conditional Use Permits, thereby placing the City's position in the formal record of proceedings. STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS 1. Direct the City Traffic Engineer to review and comment on the traffic report; 2. Have staff prepare comments expressing opposition to the proposed modification and present conditions for inclusion to the modification approvals.