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Letter: Allowing violation of land use permit sends a terrible message

(This letter was originally addressed to Mr. [Mike] Samson, Mr. [John] Martin, and Mr. [Tom] Jankovsky),
I am opposed to the expansion of the is quarry in Glenwood Springs. I understand the quarry corporation wants to expand this operation from 21 to 320 acres? I was just there at Glenwood Caverns and saw this operation. To think if allowed it would be 15 times larger leaves me flabbergasted. Also in response and with due respect to Mike Samson, if you are building a house as a general contractor and you have five out of seven permit violations, the inspectors would absolutely red tag the construction site and all construction would cease, without regard to jobs.
I am sympathetic to Samson’s argument and appreciate it, but he must understand, that to permit a major corporation to continue to profit while in violation of the county land use permit is a terrible message to the rest of the citizens. Would you be allowed to drive your car without a valid driver’s license, dig in your yard without the proper permits, sell liquor at your restaurant without the proper license, continue to sell food with serious health code violations? Absolutely not. I could go on and on. The fact they have been in violation for two years and still continue to operate is a significant breach of public trust with both the process, the county commissioners and the quarry corporation. I sincerely desire for the Garfield commissioners to understand that they have sacred trust with their constituency to represent the people of this county and not allow anyone to be above the law and the will of the people less we risk eroding the trust we place in our representative democracy.
Matthew Roeser,
Carbondale


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