PLANNING AND BUILDING DEPARTMENT - A. PRADO
1. Approve Amendment #3 with Benchmark Resources for Stevens Creek Ranch 35 New Quarry Use Permit and Reclamation Plan application processing, and Environmental Impact Report, to include the additional staff services required to complete the project processing, for an increase of $334,115.00, with a not to exceed total of $1,661,055.00, and to extend the term of the contract through June 30, 2028 (County Planning file 23CAP-00000001); and
2. Authorize Chair, County Executive Officer, or designee to sign contract.
SBC FILE NUMBER: 790
CONSENT AGENDA
Benchmark Resources is submitting this contract amendment number 3 to support the County of San Benito (County) with application processing and environmental review of the proposed Ranch 35 Quarry mining project, as detailed in the December 2022 application submitted by Stevens Creek Quarry, Inc., (applicant). This contract amendment number 3 includes the additional staff services required to complete the project processing including peer review of applicant studies, preparation of environmental studies, preparation of California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) documents, including a draft and final Environmental Impact Report (EIR), and other services associated with CEQA compliance and project review and processing as described herein and to extend the term of the contract through June 30, 2028.
Stevens Creek Quarry, Inc. (SCQ) is seeking entitlements to open the Ranch 35 Quarry, a new mining and processing operation on an approximately 271-acre parcel in northwestern San Benito County (County). SCQ is a local aggregate materials supply company doing business in the County, and the greater San Francisco Bay area, for over 80 years. SCQ currently operates the Williams Quarry (1275 Anzar Road), also in the northwestern portion of the County. SCQ has been supplying the San Benito community with a local source of construction aggregate materials for over 35 years. The Ranch 35 Quarry will include mining, processing, and materials recycle operations that would continue to provide the County with a reliable local aggregate source for maintenance of existing public infrastructure, development of new public infrastructure, and private development needs.
The Ranch 35 Quarry is in northwestern San Benito County approximately 2 miles northwest of the city of San Juan Bautista. The Ranch 35 Quarry would be located entirely within the boundaries of assessor parcel number 012-090-023 and accessed via a private driveway off State Highway 156. The parcel has a General Plan land use designation of Agriculture and a zoning designation of Agricultural Productive. The property currently supports cattle grazing. The property is bordered by Highway 101 to the north/northwest, State Highway 156 to the west/southwest, and grazing and agricultural operations to the east and south. The following are specific objectives of the project:
• Obtain a long-term, dependable source of high-quality aggregate to meet current and projected demand for construction materials in the region.
• Provide up to 50 local jobs with a living wage for skilled workers.
• Obtain entitlements to mine and produce a variety of aggregate and recycled material
products and topsoil to support the region’s demand for native and recycled materials.
• Provide for a maximum annual permitted sales level of 1 million tons of native aggregate.
• Support recycled aggregate needs, while diverting broken concrete and asphalt from landfills.
• Develop mining and processing facilities on a property that provides sufficient buffer lands, and intervening topography, to minimize potential land use incompatibilities with surrounding land uses.
• Primary project traffic related ingress/egress is off State Highway 156 thereby avoiding local roadways and intersections.
• Maintain historic grazing operations on surrounding buffer land and portions of the property not subject to surface disturbance.
• Minimize impacts to streams, ponds, and associated biological resources, through avoidance and stormwater detention facilities.
• Reclaim the project site to grazing and open space.
The Original Contract, as previously amended is hereby further amended to include the additional staff services required to complete processing the project, for an increase of $334,115.00, with a not to exceed total of $1,661,055.00, and to extend the term of the contract through June 30, 2028.
History:
The Resource Management Agency solicited responses through a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for SMARA compliance support services for San Benito County's (21) active and inactive mines located throughout the County. The RFP was issued July 22, 2019 and the responses was due August 20, 2019. Evaluation was based on experience, organization, size, and structure of respondent's firm, qualifications of staff to be assigned to this contract, respondent's work plan to complete the Scope of Services, value-added the scope of services, value-added service4 beyond the SMARA Compliance Support Services, quality of the response to the RFQ. Two firms submitted responses and were evaluated on technical expertise, knowledge, and related expensive providing SMARA compliance services for similar Counties. It was determined that Benchmark Resources was the most qualified responsive firm to perform the services requested of this contract. The County and Benchmark Resources first entered into contract on September 4, 2019. A separate contract was done for Ranch 35 Quarry project using the RFQ and same firm selected for all SMARA compliance services.
$1,661,055.00 to be paid for by the applicant. Source of Funding: 1265.65.1285.1000.619.222
1. Approve Amendment #3 with Benchmark Resources for Stevens Creek Ranch 35 New Quarry Use Permit and Reclamation Plan application processing, and Environmental Impact Report, to include the additional staff services required to complete the project, for an increase of $334,115.00, with a not to exceed total of $1,661,055.00, and to extend the term of the contract through June 30, 2028 (County Planning file 23CAP-00000001); and
2. Authorize Chair, County Executive Officer, or designee to sign contract.