Santa Clara County planners hoping to dig up public comments about gravel mine proposal

A coalition of local tribe members, conservationists and policymakers say sacred tribal lands are being threatened by a proposed sand and gravel mine, which will be reviewed by the Santa Clara County Planning Commission in a public comment meeting Thursday.

Landowners of the 6,200-acre Sargent Ranch, four miles south of Gilroy, are seeking a 30-year permit to operate a 403-acre quarry, to be called Sargent Quarry. Underneath four of the property’s hills lies 40 million tons of sand and gravel that could be used for local concrete and asphalt production, said owners Sargent Ranch Partners LLC.