Chelsea MI Residents Speak Out Against Sand Mine

Residents packed Sylvan Township Hall in February during a public hearing to consider special use and mining permits for McCoig Materials Inc. McCoig applied for the permits in December to use properties near M-52 and North Territorial Rd. for a sand and gravel mine.

Health and Safety of Chelsea MI Residents Comes First

Area residents came out in full force to speak out against a proposed sand mine near Chelsea, MI. Though the decision making process is still in the early stages, community members made their opinions very clear. Concerns ranged from traffic congestion to health and environmental issues. In addition to a significant increase in truck traffic, the proposed site would eliminate wetland areas and Stofer Hill. McCoig stated in the application that trucks would make an average of 60 round trips to and from the plant every day, with a daily maximum of 80.
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Michigan Zoning Enabling Act

A 2006 public act, known as the Michigan Zoning Enabling Act, may work in favor of McCoig. The act states that an ordinance “shall not prevent the extraction, by mining, of valuable natural resources from any property unless very serious consequences would result from the extraction of those natural resources.” It will be up to the planning commission to decide if the extraction poses “serious consequences” to local residents. The Chelsea City Council has already unanimously voted to request that the commission deny the permit.

Environmental and traffic concerns must be reviewed by the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality and MDOT before final site plan approval is given for the project. Due to the large turnout and the number of people who were unable to speak, a second public hearing has been scheduled for March 13.

Written by Brad Abbott