County Planning Staff and Planning Commission both recommend denial of the project
Following a nearly seven year process, including members of the public signing thousands of opposition petitions, expressing concerns at dozens of public meetings, and sending hundreds of letters detailing the many significant safety, environmental, and community impacts, the controversial Cottonwood Sand Mine proposal is scheduled to be heard by the San Diego County Board of Supervisors this Wednesday, September 10, 2025, at 9 a.m.
Following the July vote to deny the project by the County Planning Commission, the applicant filed an appeal with the Board of Supervisors.
The County’s Department of Planning & Development Services (PDS) is also recommending the project application be denied, noting that the legal findings required for a Major Use Permit cannot be made.
Both PDS and the Planning Commission cited their concerns that the project will have a harmful impact on the desired community character and the site is not suitable for a large-scale industrial sand mine. These are the same concerns Stop Cottonwood Sand Mine has raised since 2018.
Details on meeting:
County Board of Supervisors
Wednesday, September 10, 2025, 9:00 a.m.
County Administration Center
1600 Pacific Hwy, Room 310
San Diego, CA 92101
https://www.sandiegocounty.gov/content/sdc/cob/bosa.html
The Stop Cottonwood Sand Mine Committee will present its opposition to the project during the meeting. The Committee is expressing continued concerns that a Major Use Permit for a more than 10-year open pit sand mining operation — on the site of the Cottonwood Golf Course along the Sweetwater River — is out of character with the already established Rancho San Diego community, made up of nearby homes, schools, and businesses. The project is also inconsistent with the County General Plan and Community Specific Plans.
The Committee is continuing to call on the thousands of individuals who have signed up online and previously expressed opposition to the project to again take action by expressing their sentiments to the Board of Supervisors.
For more information:
https://www.stopcottonwoodsandmine.com/
