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SUNNY Temp: 59 °F Wind: CLM at 0 mph Friday, August 29, 2003 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA HomeLife Magazine Joy Magazine Tempo A & E RogueValleyAutoFinder RogueValleyHomeFinder Real Estate Showcase Wellness Connection Newspaper in Education Prime Times Outdoor Journal Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Employment Contact Us Media Kit Email Story to a Friend August 6, 2003 Jamie Ford is opposing a proposed 52-acre gravel excavation project not far from his Applegate Valley home. Mail Tribune / Bob Pennell A grating development A plan for an Applegate River gravel operation has nearby homeowners worried about riverbed damage and loud noises coming into their quiet rural refuges By DAMIAN MANN Mail Tribune At Jamie and Linda Ford’s Applegate Valley home, the loudest noise they usually hear is the nearby river rushing over rocks. By next summer, they could be awakened by the din of excavators, heavy equipment and 140 dump trucks from 6:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. every weekday. "It’s very peaceful here and it’s hard to think of hearing the gravel being dumped in the trucks and the sound of diesel motors every day," said Jamie Ford, whose house sits 350 feet from the proposed excavation. The Fords, who have raised their family on this property for 24 years, are opposing a gravel excavation project on 52 acres in the channel of the Applegate River that would be leased by neighboring property owners to Copeland Sand and Gravel of Murphy. Advertisement Ford is not only worried about the noise that will invade the tranquil existence they’ve had since 1979, but also about the value and livability of their 14-acre property. "We’re thinking about selling our house," he said. Jackson County Planner Sandy Mathewson said the mining operation will excavate 1.3 million cubic yards of aggregate, sand and rock over a 10-year period. Since the project is in exclusive farm use land, it will require a conditional use permit from the county. A public hearing on the project will be held at 10:30 a.m. Aug. 18 at 10 S. Oakdale Ave., Medford. The excavation also will require review from the Oregon Division of Lands, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers because of potential impacts to the riverbed. Altogether, there will be four different excavation sites measuring 10.7, 15.2, 24.1 and 1.64 acres, said Mathewson. This is scaled back from 87 acres proposed two years ago. Most of the sites sit in an island created when the river forked during a flood about eight years ago. "For the most part, this will be a seasonal operation," Mathewson said. "They will be operating mostly in the summertime." Linda Ford is concerned about any tampering with the river’s channel, which can be unpredictable during flood stage. "We’re just not comfortable that the excavation won’t result in more damage to our property and to surrounding properties in high water events," she said. Ford, who said about 25 other landowners have expressed concern to her about the project, is considering hiring an engineer who would do an independent analysis of the river’s hydrology. Sharron Leppla-Corrigan, a consulting biologist for Copeland, said she understands the excavation will be traumatic for some residents. She said the mining operation has received letters of support from 93 landowners in the area. To keep aggregate costs low, it is important that Copeland find gravel sites close to its Murphy crushing plant, she said. While the excavation area will result in more noise — as high as 75 decibels for short bursts — Leppla-Corrigan said the company plans to build berms to deflect the sound. A trailer will be fitted with a sound-absorbing screen that will follow the excavation equipment around the site to direct noise upwards, away from neighboring parcels. Leppla-Corrigan said the excavated areas, which will be 12 to 20 feet deep, will be converted into ponds that could be used by migratory birds and by helicopters needing to fill their buckets for fire suppression. "It’s not going to be as tranquil as it once was, but the benefits far outweigh the inconveniences," she said. Reach reporter Damian Mann at 776-4476, or e-mail [email protected] Printer Friendly Version Email Story to a Friend Subscribe Archive: Click to Search Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2003 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Rogue Valley Auto Finder Rogue Valley Job Finder --> Rogue Valley Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Real Estate Showcase Food for Thought Hike of the Week Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Openings Prime Times