SAN DIEGO (CNS) - The San Diego County Planning Commission Wednesday will consider approving the Cottonwood Sand Mine, a controversial mining project in the Rancho San Diego area.
The proposed 10-year sand mining project -- with a two year additional reclamation period -- would extract 4.3 million cubic yards of material, including around 3.8 million produced for market use.
If approved, it would be located on the site of Cottonwood Golf Course, across from Cottonwood Two County Park. The proposed project would cover 200 acres along Willow Glen Drive between Jamacha and Hillsdale roads in Rancho San Diego, just south of El Cajon.
"The Cottonwood proposal will ultimately dedicate 150 acres of permanent open space and create a critical linkage for wildlife species and trails -- an extraordinary public benefit for the region," according to a statement from developers Cottonwood Cajon, LLC. "In addition, the temporary, local source of essential construction sand will help offset skyrocketing costs for housing and infrastructure construction and create hundreds of high-quality jobs."
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The commission was scheduled to hear public opinion on the mine last month, but technical difficulties necessitated the item's postponement, and more than 200 residents waiting to talk were turned away.
On Wednesday, the Stop Cottonwood Sand Mine Committee will present its opposition to the project, which it had maintained since it was first proposed in 2018.
"The committee is expressing continued concerns that a Major Use Permit for a more than 10-year open pit sand mining operation -- on the site of the Cottonwood Golf Course along the Sweetwater River -- is out of character with the already established Rancho San Diego community, made up of nearby homes, schools, and businesses," committee spokesman Barry Jantz said in a statement. "The project is also inconsistent with the County General Plan and Community Specific Plans."
Concerns by nearby residents include traffic, noise, air particulate from mining operations and aesthetics. The site is in a residential neighborhood.
RELATED: Owner of Cottonwood Golf Club in El Cajon wants to turn it into a sand mine
Mine operations would run Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 5 a.m. with trucking operations from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
County Planning & Development Services has recommended that the planning commission deny the project.
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