Town approves modification adding 7.5 acres to life-of-mine for Vail Road pit after public hearing

The Town of Collins Board approved a modification to the Vail Road pit special-use permit that adds 7.5 acres to the permitted life-of-mine for Dan Gernatt Gravel Products.

The board scheduled and held a public hearing on June 10 after receiving a negative SEQR declaration from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and a recommendation from the Town Planning Board. Gernatt officials said the expansion would not change permitted depth or hours of operation and that the access drive would remain on Vail Road rather than Allen Road; the company also agreed to keep existing setbacks and operational conditions in place.

Planning Board Chairman Brian Martin told the Town Board that the Planning Board recommended approval subject to the permits ongoing conditions. After the public comment period and the receipt of Erie County review comments (the record shows no unresolved county objections), the Town Board approved the Special Use Permit modification (Res. #166) adopting the Planning Board recommendation.

Why it matters: the action allows continued extraction on an adjacent parcel under the same regulatory conditions as the existing mine, and it keeps local conditions (access routes, setback requirements and hours) in force. Residents and highway officials asked the board and the company to emphasize safe truck access; the company reiterated that trucks would use Vail Road.