Lake County planning commission tables decision on Titan Gold’s Box Creek gravel export permit after public outcry over truck traffic and noise

Lake County planning commissioners on April 28 paused consideration of Titan Gold’s conditional use permit application (file 24-03) to add crushing, screening and export of construction-grade aggregate from the company’s Box Creek operation, citing outstanding questions about truck traffic, intersection safety and noise impacts on nearby neighborhoods.

The tabling came after a joint public hearing that lasted more than four hours and included technical presentations by Titan Gold’s consultants and more than two dozen public comments from residents of Panarck, Twin Lakes and other nearby neighborhoods. Opponents said the proposal’s estimated heavy-truck volumes along County Road 24A → County Road 10 to U.S. Highway 24 would generate persistent noise, dust and safety risks; proponents and Titan representatives emphasized reclamation practices, state permits and local road maintenance commitments.

Why it matters: the application would allow Titan Gold to process and export up to 300,000 tons of aggregate per year from a site where placer gold mining is already permitted. Neighbors said even operation at lower volumes would increase heavy-truck movements through Leadville-area roads that residents and county staff described as already congested in summer months. County staff and the applicant agreed additional coordination with the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) and more information about intersection mitigation, annual hauling reports and on-site noise control would help address unresolved public-safety and nuisance concerns.

Titan Gold representatives presented the technical scope before the joint hearing: the permitted mine and lease area totals roughly 950 acres, with up to 300 acres in active disturbance over the life of the mine and a limit of roughly 40 acres disturbed at any one time under the existing Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety (DRMS) permit. The company asked the county to approve a County conditional use permit that would explicitly allow on-site crushing and screening and the export of construction materials as part of the existing operations. The applicant estimated a maximum export rate of 300,000 tons per year and said it has been operating under a DRMS mining permit since 2019 and maintains spill prevention and stormwater controls, a substitute water‑supply/augmentation plan (in water court for the larger 300,000‑ton scenario) and an Air Pollutant Emissions Notice (APEN) with Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment (CDPHE) for its diesel equipment.

Key points from the hearing - Haul route and traffic: Titan said trucks would leave the site onto County Road 24A, then County Road 10, and then U.S. Highway 24. A CDOT access permit has been issued and requires a southbound deceleration lane to be constructed at the Highway 24/County Road 10 junction. The company’s traffic study modeled peak-month (July) flows and produced a design hourly volume; CDOT and county staff said the permit and the access-permit conditions reflect that analysis. Opponents argued the study does not capture real-world safety risks at that intersection and pressed for additional evaluation and for yearly hauling and truck-count reporting as a condition. - Tonnage and fees: the applicant’s maximum export scenario is 300,000 tons annually. Staff and Titan proposed a road-impact fee of $0.50 per ton to fund County Road 10 maintenance; at 300,000 tons that corresponds to roughly $150,000 per year directed to Lake County Road & Bridge. Titan said it would also execute a separate maintenance agreement to directly maintain County Road 24A where its trucks access the site. - Hours and wildlife: Titan proposed hauling hours be limited to 8 a.m.–5 p.m. Monday–Friday and 8 a.m.–noon Saturdays to reduce wildlife and noise impacts; DRMS and Colorado Parks & Wildlife recommendations were discussed, including timing limitations on new ground disturbance in winter-range areas. The miner noted operations are seasonal and reclamation occurs concurrently with mining. - Water and permitting: county staff and the applicant confirmed the substitute water-supply/augmentation plan (SWSP) for the expanded export scenario is under review in water court; staff asked for confirmation that county water rights would be protected as the SWSP is finalized. A county water manager noted the SWSP the county had initially received assumed a lower export quantity (50,000 tons) while the water-court augmentation filing contemplated the 300,000‑ton maximum, and said county review will continue through the SWSP process. - Noise and community impacts: multiple residents testified that the mine’s existing processing and truck activity already produce audible complaints (back-up beeps, rock drops and crushing noise) and that adding export/crushing would materially increase daily noise and reduce property values for nearby homes. Residents urged stricter hours, additional noise mitigation and greater enforcement and reporting mechanisms.

Action taken: after public comment and staff discussion, the planning commission voted to table the recommendation and directed staff to pursue additional coordination with CDOT and return to the commission with any new CDOT findings or other information; the commission set further consideration for the county commissioners’ May meeting (May 20, 2025) so the board may receive any additional CDOT input and staff analysis before a final decision. The planning commission also asked staff to: require annual tonnage and truck-trip reporting, confirm required APEN updates prior to export, finalize a road‑maintenance agreement and clarify SWSP status for the expanded export scenario.

What’s next: the item will be before the Board of County Commissioners in May (date set) and the board will take a final action after reviewing the commission’s recommendation and any supplemental material from CDOT, Titan and county staff. If the board receives new technical evidence (for example, additional CDOT analysis of the intersection), that material would be referred back to the planning commission for an updated recommendation and, if needed, a reopened public hearing.

Speakers quoted or cited in this report include: Katie Todd (project representative for Titan Gold), Dr. Benjamin (Ben) Miller (co‑owner, Willoughby & Associates), Melissa (Lake County planning staff), Bryce Ehrlich (Lake County Water Resources Manager), Michael Erwin (Lake County Public Works Director) and multiple residents who testified during public comment. The transcript and staff report contain detailed technical slides and permit conditions referenced in this summary.

Ending: With public safety and community impacts still unresolved in the hearing record, the planning commission chose to pause action and seek further coordination with CDOT and additional written clarifications on hauling counts, water augmentation and road‑maintenance funding before forwarding a recommendation to the Board of County Commissioners.