Larimer County approves WH Property Holdings mining special review with wildlife, dust and noise conditions

Larimer County commissioners on Thursday approved a special review allowing WH Property Holdings LLC to operate a phased sand-and-gravel mining operation and accessory portable processing on a 90.87‑acre parcel west of Interstate 25, north of Wellington.

The Board voted 3–0 to approve file 24‑zone‑3688, following a staff presentation from Michael Whitley, who described the request as mining on roughly 56.4 acres with on‑site crushing and screening and the possible use of a portable asphalt batch plant. Whitley said the applicant proposes phased mining in roughly 5–10 acre increments with concurrent reclamation; average pit depth is expected to be about 15 feet with local maximums of 20–25 feet and an estimated project reclamation horizon of about 20 years.

Why it matters: County staff and referral agencies recommended limits and monitoring to reduce community and environmental impacts while preserving local aggregate supply for road and infrastructure work. The applicant argued the portable, project‑specific operations are smaller in profile than larger permanent sites and emphasized reclamation and neighbor communications.

Key details and conditions - Site and parties: the parcel is listed at 12244 North County Road 5J; the applicant is Connell Resources (represented by John Warren) and the property owner is William Hilgenberg of WH Property Holdings LLC. Michael Whitley presented the application on behalf of Larimer County Development Services. - Scope: mining on about 56.4 acres of the 90.87‑acre parcel with on‑site processing/crushing and a portable asphalt batch plant considered accessory to the mine (processing of imported materials is prohibited). - Hours: proposed hours are Monday–Saturday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.; the asphalt batch plant may operate outside those hours only for emergencies or for processing related to major arterial/state highway projects after county notification. - Wildlife timing: staff relayed Colorado Parks and Wildlife comments that the property lies within mule deer and pronghorn winter ranges; a condition was proposed that initial site work not occur between Dec. 1 and Apr. 30 to reduce impacts on wintering wildlife. - Water and dust: wastewater will be handled with a temporary septic for the scale house; potable water may use the existing tap or an off‑site well with a cistern. A 20,000‑gallon on‑site storage tank for dust suppression and fire protection is required. Leah Schneider (Department of Health and Environment) said visible dust cannot leave the property and predicted particulate emissions would be minor (staff cited estimates below about 2 tons/year for particulate matter), with required dust‑suppression measures and inspections. - Noise and lighting: noise monitoring will be required; staff cited a daytime property‑line standard of about 55 dB and said the operation used measured sound levels from an active site to show compliance. Exterior lighting will be reviewed in Site Plan Review and must comply with county exterior lighting standards to limit night‑sky impacts. - Reclamation and financial assurance: the applicant already obtained a state Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety reclamation permit with a $186,000 bond; concurrent reclamation in phases is required.

What speakers said - Michael Whitley (senior planner) summarized staff findings that the special review complies with the applicable Land Use Code review criteria and recommended approval subject to 18 conditions from the planning commission staff report. - John Warren, president of Connell Resources, described the operation as project‑specific, portable and focused on providing material for local infrastructure projects; he said the company intends to work with nearby residents and to reclaim land to agriculture after mining. - Ed Hammel, a nearby resident, urged caution, saying the site has been “a wonderful place to live with a great deal of peace and quiet” and expressing concern about air quality, noise and traffic. - Warren replied that Connell has operated in Larimer County for decades and offered to provide contact information to address neighbor concerns.

Procedural history and vote - The Planning Commission recommended approval 6–0 following a public hearing; county staff’s Development Services team found the proposal met special‑review and general review criteria in the Land Use Code and listed 18 recommended conditions. - On final action the Board approved the special review 3–0 (motion by Commissioner John Kefalas), adopting the conditions in the planning commission staff report.

Next steps - If the special review stands, the applicant must complete Site Plan Review to finalize specific development standards, lighting plans, sound monitoring protocols and technical details before full operations begin. County staff noted additional permitting at the state level (reclamation and air quality) and ongoing inspection and monitoring obligations.

Several technical and mitigation commitments cited in the hearing — including the Dec. 1–Apr. 30 initial work limitation, the 20,000‑gallon water tank for dust control, the prohibition on processing imported material, and the state reclamation bond — are part of the conditions the Board adopted.