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The front-page article about the Lafarge gravel pit in the Oct. 1 Steamboat Today has reminded us all of how close we are to destroying the scenic entryway to Steamboat Springs. If this permit goes through, the first thought you will have coming over Rabbit Ears Pass or driving north on Colorado Highway 131 will not be, "what a beautiful place," but "how could they have done this?" It will set a new low for poor planning and lack of vision in our state and community. The current application is 4 years old and needs to be seriously revisited. The application had substantial changes in scope and size, and so has our demand for the product. Our current gravel consumption is 50 percent of what it was when this application was submitted.

As Routt County Commissioner Nancy Stahoviak said recently in reference to another special-use permit application, "if changes are made to the plan, it should go back to the Planning Commission before going to the county commissioners."

Many feel that a 4-year-old application should go back to the Planning Commission for review. Will Lafarge be held to the same standard, or will it be given special privilege?

There are other existing gravel pits that can meet the need for gravel in the South Valley. The existing King Mountain gravel pit affects no wetlands, is not visible from any gateway to any of our growth centers, and has enough high quality gravel to satisfy our current usage for more than 100 years. Actual travel time from this facility to the South Valley is shorter than from the closest gravel pit west of Steamboat Springs.

To visitors, second-home owners and residents alike, one of our valley's greatest assets is the scenic beauty. To place a gravel pit at the gateway to our community is in direct conflict with our community plans and the preservation of open space, one of our most popular community goals. It affects property values and the desirability of land ownership in the area. In the 10-year period before this application, thousands of acres of land in the South Valley were placed under protection from development. Clearly we are headed in the wrong direction, according to all the community surveys. Because the county has indicated its willingness to change direction from the planning documents, not one-tenth of that amount of land on the South Valley floor has gone into conservation easements. Make no mistake about it, the door is being pried open for more commercial and industrial uses in the South Valley and it is clear that private landowners will be less likely to help preserve our scenic corridors. It is time to go back to planning.

Ken Solomon

Steamboat Springs