M&T Update (following the last Public Meeting)
April 24, 2007: Board of Supervisors
Appeal Hearing -
On April 24,
2007 the Butte County Board of Supervisors held
a public hearing and received testimony on the
petition of Pacific Trust Realty Associates
(Baldwin Construction) for Tentative Immediate
Partial Cancellation of the Williamson Act
Contract of M&T Inc. of 1976, for 106 acres of
land located on portions of APN: 039-530-023
adjacent to Little Chico Creek. After closing
the public hearing the Board unanimously voted
to deny the applicant’s petition for Williamson
Act contract cancellation. This decision was
based on the Board’s determination that the
statutory “consistency” cancellation Findings 2
and 5 of Government Code Section 51282 (a) could
not be met. The Board then opened the hearing
on the two appeals of the M&T Chico Ranch Mining
Permit application and Final Environmental
Impact Report, heard some testimony, then,
continued this hearing for additional testimony
until May 22, 2007 at 1:30 PM.
February 22, 2007: Planning Commission
meeting to consider adoption of the Resolutions
certifying the final Environmental Impact Report
and approving the Mining Use Permit.
See staff report and exhibits
here
At their January 23, 2007 meeting,
the Commission voted 3-2 to adopt a motion of
intent to: 1) adopt a resolution certifying the
Final EIR as consistent with the requirements of
CEQA, including Findings of Fact and Mitigation
Monitoring Plan; and 2) adopt a resolution
approving Mining Permit 96-03 including the
reclamation plan, financial assurances cost
estimate, and a statement of overriding
considerations. The resolutions are scheduled
for consideration at the February 22, 2007
Planning Commission meeting.
All
attachments can be viewed in the
eTrakIT location of this Project.
At their December 14, 2006 meeting,
the Butte
County Planning Commission continued its
consideration of the Final Environmental Impact
Report (EIR) and the proposed M & T Chico Ranch
Mine Project. After an extensive review of
issues raised during public testimony during the
November 30, 2006 meeting, and additional
testimony received on December 14th,
the Commission
voted to continue the public hearing to 9:00
a.m. on January 25, 2007. The M & T Chico Ranch
Mine is a proposal to mine and process gravel
five miles southwest of Chico on River Road on a
235-acre site over a 20 to 30-year period. At
the conclusion of mining, the property would be
reclaimed to open-water wetland and agricultural
uses.
In continuing the hearing to January 25th,
the Commission directed that changes be made to
the project description regarding the project’s
location in non-prime farmlands and that the
subject property will likely be removed from
Williamson Act status. The Commission also
directed Staff to provide additional analysis of
restricting gravel truck traffic to either Hegan
Lane (avoiding the community of Durham), or a
northerly route along River Road to State
Highway 32.
