Rock mine near Collier fairgrounds looking to expand

By Larry Hannan

Originally published — 6:43 p.m., July 11, 2007
Updated — 10:33 p.m., July 11, 2007

A mining company is moving ahead with plans to increase the size of its 626-acre mine off of Immokalee Road near the county fairgrounds by nearly 500 acres.

Jones Mining Co. gained the support Wednesday of the Collier County Environmental Advisory Council to expand the rock-mining operation. The EAC voted 6-3 to recommend that Mining Venture LLC, the parent company of Jones Mining, be allowed to expand to encompass 1,091.2 acres.

The company had had permission to rock mine 626.1 acres.

The request to increase the size of the rock mine next goes to the Collier County Planning Commission before it goes to the Collier County Commission for final approval. The EAC and planning commission are advisory bodies. The County Commission makes the final decision.

As part of the recommendation for approval, the EAC suggested a buffer zone around a lake on the property, and a buffer area between the rock-mining operation and other lands.

The water quality on the land also will be tested every six months, if the EAC recommendation is followed.

EAC members who opposed the expansion expressed concerns that the rock mining could damage water quality in the area and also damage the surrounding environment. EAC members Lee Horn, William Hill and Roger Jacobsen opposed the expansion of rock mining.

But officials with Mining Venture LLC said there would be no damage to the land.

The mining operation is on 2,564 acres east of Immokalee Road, about two miles north of Oil Well Road and 1.5 miles north of the county fairgrounds.

Collier commissioners first approved rock mining at this site last year with the stipulation that the owners must return after a year to renew the permit.

The rock mine has been operating since 1999, but the company had only been allowed to get rock about 10 feet into the ground until last year, when commissioners approved blasting and rock mining down as far as 45 feet.

Also Wednesday, the EAC unanimously supported a request from Germain Automotive dealership to expand its car lot off U.S. 41 in North Naples.

Germain wants to build a new inventory storage lot on site, but a bald eagle recently built a nest about 100 yards from the property.

State and federal rules prohibit construction that close to a bald eagle nest. But parts of the existing auto dealership are closer to the nest than the area where the storage lot would be built.

Representatives of the auto dealership argued the storage lot could be built without disrupting the eagle nest.

EAC members agreed, with the caveat that construction on the lot conclude before nesting season begins in October.

"The level of activity on a storage lot is fairly low," EAC member Judith Husher said. "We’re not putting up a high rise or a shopping center."

The eagle chose to move its nest to this location, Husher also said.

Germain already has received permission from state and federal agencies to build the storage lot. The EAC was the last step in the process; approval isn’t required from either the planning commission or County Commission.

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