Public hearing scheduled on consequences of Stoneco gravel mine

Screenshot from Stoneco’s website showing other current Stoneco gravel mining operations

by Sara Swanson

Sharon Township Planning Commission will be holding a public hearing on Wednesday, February 15, at 7pm at the Sharon United Methodist Church Fellowship Hall, located at 19980 W Pleasant Lake Rd on the application of Stoneco of Michigan for approval of a special land use for a 398-acre proposed sand and gravel mining operation. The hearing will be restricted to whether or not the proposed extraction of natural resources would result in “very serious consequences.” After the hearing, the planning commission will recommend to the Township Board whether to approve, approve with conditions, or not approve the application. The application is available to view from Sharon Township’s website or directly at https://tinyurl.com/2u9vrjrd

This proposed gravel mine has been a highly debated issue in Sharon Township for the last two years — but Sharon Township is not alone. Communities all over Michigan have been in conflict over gravel pits and new mining operations and in some of these cases, a community group has formed in an effort to prevent the operation. Here in the Manchester area, a group called Sharon Preservation Society grew up out of the initial public response. 

Sharon Preservation Society states that they believe that Stoneco’s data does not support their claim that the proposed mining operation “will not cause any very serious consequences.” They are encouraging anyone opposed to the mine to attend this hearing. They state, “This is the most important part of the review process for this mine application. Even if you have attended past Public Hearings regarding this mining application, if you are concerned about the potential impact of the mine, it’s very important to attend this one as well.”

Questions about the upcoming hearing? Contact Pat Kelly—Planning Commission Chair at pc@sharontownship.org. For more information about Sharon Preservation Society, visit http://sharonpreservationsociety.org/

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by Sara Swanson

Sara Swanson is an editor, writer and founder of the Manchester Mirror.