Agenda Item # 11.4 - Connie Rogers | Received 08/09/2022August 8, 2022
Re: Sargent Ranch Quarry application
Dear Mayor Blankley and Council Members,
We ask you to enact a resolution urging Santa Clara County to deny the application for a quarry on the
Sargent Ranch property. We also ask you to direct staff to make official comments on the Draft Envi-
ronmental Impact Report. The proposed quarry would be located four miles south of our city, is within
our sphere of influence, and our residents would bear the brunt of its impacts.
Based on our review of the DEIR, the following “significant and unavoidable impacts” (none can be fully
mitigated) would have a permanent detrimental effect on health, environment, and quality of life within
Gilroy, in addition to conflicting with several of our General Plan 20/40 policies:
1. Aesthetics—The visual character from US 101 at our southern gateway, which the County has desig-
nated a scenic highway, would be severely jeopardized. General Plan policy NCR 1.6 calls for “devel-
oping and applying preservation tools to protect open space areas in and around the city”.
2. Air Quality—Several of the air pollution elements would cause a clear health threat. General Plan
Goal EJ 1 asserts a commitment to environmental justice and the inclusion of those most impacted by
environmental problems in decision making. That means our own Gilroy residents!
3. Transportation/Traffic —The addition of 240 one-way trips of heavy gravel trucks/day would
severely impact the already heavy traffic and pavement quality on Hwy 101, even with the addition
of the planned third lanes. See General Plan M 7.1 and M 7.2 about mobility and agency cooperation.
4. Biological Resources—The project would impede natural wildlife movement and biodiversity be-
tween the Santa Cruz and Diablo Ranges. See General Plan NCR 1.1 and NCR 1.6 about Habitat Plan
Compliance (Gilroy is a member), and our community values set forth in this NCR Chapter.
5. Geology, Soils, and Paleontology—This project would permanently damage the natural terrain and
resources. It has the potential to destroy paleontological resources, since it is the heritage land of
our local Amah Mutsun tribe. This conflicts with General Plan Policy NCR 1.5.
6. Cultural and Tribal Resources—This project would desecrate the Juristac Tribal Cultural Landscape
because it would use irreplaceable natural resources in violation of their beliefs. See General Plan
NCR 5.4 which calls for “...the preservation of historical and archaeological sites”.
Chapter 8 of our General Plan 20/40—Natural and Cultural Resources—begins with the following:
“Gilroy’s location in the southern Santa Clara Valley, surrounded by hills, streams, and agriculture,
is one of the many reasons that residents love living here. Gilroy has a proud, multi-cultural heritage
that spans centuries. These sensitive natural and cultural resources are critical to Gilroy’s vibrancy
and prosperity, and therefore deserve protection.”
Members of Gilroy Growing Smarter have met to discuss this issue in depth. In light of the above, we
are asking you, our City Council Members, to spare our residents the serious health and environmental
impacts this project would bring, honor our General Plan 20/40, direct staff to officially comment on
the DEIR, and ultimately enact a resolution denying the quarry application.
Sincerely,
Connie Rogers, Chair
Gilroy Growing Smarter
Keeping Gilroy Healthy & Beautiful
Connie Rogers | Chair
Phone 408-842-8494 | Website GilroyGrowingSmarter.org
Email communications@GilroyGrowingSmarter.org