Project Details

The quarry site is located in a previously disturbed quarry on CSU property on Pingree Park Rd., approximately 16 miles south of Highway 14 (Poudre Canyon Rd.).

If approved, the existing 2.5-acre quarry will be enlarged with the addition of about 9 acres. 

The distance from the quarry to the nearest facilities, residents, and recreational areas is below: 

Approximate distance from:

• Stormy Peaks Trail at closest point to edge of quarry: 200 ft
• Tom Bennett Campground: 1,200 ft
• CSU Mountain Campus nearest building: 1,700 ft
• Closes residential building on Rainbow Rook Rd. (seasonal): 2,400
• Sky Ranch Lutheran Camp: 5,700 ft

Larimer County Road & Bridge owns a mobile aggregate processing plant and other equipment, which is used to extract and process aggregate at Larimer County's only operating quarry, the Strang Pit. This equipment would be moved to the site periodically and used to excavate material from the ground and crush it into gravel-size aggregate.

Quarrying will usually happen between June and October, but the schedule may shift depending on weather and staff availability. Operations will not occur between December 1 and April 30 to minimize impacts to big game. Operations are not expected to occur every year. Instead, work will take place periodically throughout the 15-year project lifespan. When active, work hours will generally be 8:00 am to 5:00 pm Monday through Thursday. When inactive, the site will remain quiet and inaccessible. No work will be conducted on the weekends.

The aggregate will be processed on site and used to maintain roads in the vicinity - Pingree Park Road, and sections of Buckhorn Rd., and Pingree Hill Rd. Gravel sourced from this site may be used to maintain other roads in the area, as well.

Gravel will be hauled from the quarry to the nearby roads that need maintenance. Hauling will happen on an as-needed basis, not continuously. Hauling likely won't occur during the peak summer seasons of June through August because County staff will be busy with other seasonal roadway operations across Larimer County.

Larimer County will aim to limit vegetation clearing to the amount needed for operations as quarrying progresses. This approach limits site disturbance and reduces the potential for stormwater runoff and erosion. Erosion and stormwater control systems will be installed and inspected regularly to protect the surrounding environment.

When quarrying is complete, the site will be restored. Quarry walls will be reshaped to soften the topography and encourage revegetation. The quarry walls will be seeded with native grasses and forbs to encourage regrowth. The quarry floor will remain at its current elevation and will be reclaimed as a gravel surface to provide an area for CSU's future use, including materials storage, outdoor classroom, and overflow space for Mountain Campus activities.

Developing the CR44H quarry is the most cost-effective way for Larimer County to produce and place aggregate needed for County Roads in the Pingree Park area. Because hauling aggregate long distances adds significant expense, producing material closer to roads to be maintained helps keep costs down and limits the impacts to the area near the roads to be maintained. Preliminary estimates show that using aggregate from the CR44H quarry will cost about 20% less than it would to extract and haul aggregate from Larimer County's Strang Pit in the Front Range, resulting in cost savings of over $1 million dollars over the life of the quarry (in 2026 dollars).

Purchasing aggregate from commercial suppliers on the Front Range and hauling it to the roads to be maintained was also considered. But the long-haul distance to the Pingree Park area drives up the overall cost of that alternative, making it more expensive than the CR44H Project.

To develop the quarry, the project must be designed to conform to State and County standards. Preliminary quarrying and reclamation plans have been developed.

Larimer County hired a third-party consultant to conduct thorough environmental studies to assess existing resources and project impacts. Environmental Studies were completed in 2025. The results of those studies are found here.

A neighborhood meeting will be held in 2026 to present the project and gather feedback from the community. Neighbors in the area will be notified about the meeting via US Mail. Details about the Neighborhood Meeting will also be posted here. Comments received will be reviewed and considered for incorporation in the final Project plans.

Larimer County and CSU have been working collaboratively on this project for a number of years. We have collaborated closely on the site investigation, environmental assessments, and quarry planning phases to date.

After the neighborhood meeting and prior to the Permitting phase of the project, CSU and Larimer County will continue working together towards a goal of creating an Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) that documents each entity's roles and responsibilities.

Following community input and development of final Project plans, Larimer County will apply for the state and local permits required to begin the project. The permitting process is anticipated to take approximately 6-12 months. More details, including information on public comment opportunities during the permitting process, are here.

If all approvals are secured on schedule, quarry operations could begin in 2027.