Opponents of a rock-mining operation proposed for La Bajada Mesa said Monday that the project is ill-suited for the site and they don't want it there.

A passionate group of about 24 who attended Monday's public meeting on the topic told Rockology LLC managing partner Steve Hooper his project would destroy the vistas at the southern entrance to Santa Fe, fill the air with harmful dust and suck up precious water.

"We are going to be affected by this," said Harold Grantham, owner of an equestrian business in the nearby village of Cerrillos. "This is our backyard ... it's not your backyard. We're really taking a hard look at this as a community, and we are upset. We fought this before ... and it's going to be emotional for us."

Rockology, a company whose partners include local land baron Peter Naumburg, filed an application with Santa Fe County in January asking for the creation of a mining zone and mineral extraction permit on a 50-acre tract south of the Waldo Canyon exit off Interstate 25.

Hooper tried to develop the same area in 2005 under one of his other companies, Buildology, but gave up before the county voted on that proposal.

Hooper argued the hard basalt rock his proposed mine would produce is in high demand for road and construction projects. But his assurances that he wanted to be a good neighbor and planned to fully reclaim the area when the mining was done — in 2020 — seemed to fall on deaf ears.

Audience members responded with retorts such as "Yeah right," "Give me a break; we've heard that before," and "Forget reclamation. I'll be dead by then."

Hooper attended the meeting with his attorney, Karl Sommer, and agent, Jim Siebert. Siebert said Rockology's permit application was supposed to have been heard by the county Community Development Review Committee later this month, but Rockology has asked the presentation be postponed until May so issues raised by the community could be examined. "I recognize there are some people that don't think it's a good use for the location,and that is why we're here," Hooper said.

Sommer said Rockology specifically wants to address concerns raised in a memo by Ross Lockridge, a longtime Cerrillos resident who has been one of the most vocal opponents of past and present plans to mine the area.

"We haven't looked at cultural issues," Siebert said. "Where is (the site) in relation to El Camino Real and the La Bajada Historic District? We don't know."

Santa Fe County spokesman Stephen Ulibarri said recently that county staff plan to recommend denial of Rockology's recent application.

Siebert said another public meeting might be held before Rockology presents its proposal to the county in May.

Contact Phaedra Haywood at 986-3068 or phaywood@sfnewmexican.com.