After backlash, developer withdraws gravel mine proposal near Mankato

MANKATO – A developer hoping to operate a gravel mine near the 147-acre Red Jacket Valley Park has withdrawn his application to the township.

The decision comes after more than 2,500 people, including residents living near the park about 2½ miles southwest of Mankato, signed a petition disapproving of the project.

The application was withdrawn on Tuesday by Sam Borneke, a local contractor.

Borneke applied for a conditional use permit to operate a quarry on his property, said Christopher Sandquist, lawyer for Mankato Township.

Operation of a quarry in the area, which is within a conservation district, is allowed but requires developers to apply for a permit, Sandquist said.

The site has about 50,000 tons of sand that would be stripped out, according to documents submitted as part of the application.

The 147-acre Red Jacket Valley Park, once known as the Guaranteed Sand and Gravel Pit, has a pond with a beach area and wooded trails.

Some of the residents around the area, as well as fans of the park, organized a change.org petition to express their opposition to the development.

“We have concerns about that and what the mining operation will do once the mining operation floods,” nearby resident Charles Eltonga told local news station KEYC.

Mankato Township’s planning commission had been preparing to review the quarry’s conditional use application at its meeting on March 19.

But the township was told the application was being withdrawn on Tuesday, with no explanation, Sandquist said.

“The township has no information concerning the applicant’s future intent with respect to their property,” he added.

Borneke did not respond to a request for comment.