Planning commission approves Crandall Brothers sand‑and‑gravel expansion with haul‑route, bonding and inspection conditions

The Eaton County Planning Commission on July 8 approved a conditional use permit for Crandall Brothers Trucking to expand a sand‑and‑gravel mining operation onto multiple parcels near 4425 East Spicerville Highway in Brookfield Township, voting to approve the mine with conditions addressing haul routes, road improvements and bonding.

Staff said the application includes multiple parcels totaling about 404.34 acres; the actual area the applicant proposes to mine initially is roughly 160 acres with plans to work an estimated 60 acres first on the parcel that previously held a permitted mine. Under county bonding rules for surface mining (article 14.25), a surety bond of $3,000 plus $2,000 per estimated acre is required. Staff recommended requiring a bond sufficient for 63 acres (the amount proposed for near‑term disturbance), which totals $129,000; staff noted a bond for full simultaneous mining of the entire area would be $323,000.

The Eaton County Road Commission provided extensive conditions in its review: construction of a ditch to avoid trapping roadside water, drive approach upgrades built to heavy‑duty pavement standards with tapers and radii adequate for trucks, removal or filling of an…