FREEDOM TWP., MI — A rural community southwest of Ann Arbor is grappling with proposed gravel and sand mining operations. Township officials are calling for agreements for miners to pay for road improvements and maintenance, while some residents are pushing back against allowing more mining in the township.
Stone Co. of Michigan is looking to reopen a 1970s mining site off Pleasant Lake Road, between Esch and Kothe roads, in Freedom Township. The proposal comes as a Stone Co. mining operation at the Burmeister pit, at 6071 Steinbach Road in the township, reaches the end of its life.
Township planners and nearby residents have been expressing concerns about the impact of gravel hauler traffic on local roads. In particular, there is concern over how hauler traffic coming in and out of the mining site on Esch Road would impact the condition of the rural gravel road…