OCRC Pit Property Project Overview

Decades ago, the Ottawa County Road Commission (OCRC) had the sensible foresight to acquire several properties with aggregate resources located throughout the county. These “pit” properties were developed to provide aggregate, specifically sand and gravel, for construction and other operational needs of the county road system. Over time, the resources on these properties were periodically extracted, reflecting the ebbs and flows of market demand for such construction materials.

Since then, the needs of the county road system have changed and a new chapter for these properties has presented itself. In more recent years, a decline in the availability of aggregate commodities has been noted globally as well as in West Michigan. This decline – combined with the heightened need to invest in aging infrastructure – has convinced the OCRC Board that the time is right to consider extracting the remaining aggregate from selected pit properties.

The OCRC’s goal is to conduct this process in a way that is responsive and sensitive to community concerns yet allows for reasonable resource production and appropriate site reclamation.

For many years, the OCRC has managed these properties as valuable community assets that supported the county road system. At the conclusion of aggregate extraction and site reclamation, the OCRC intends that these properties will continue as valuable community assets.

The Road Commission has selected sites in Zeeland, Jamestown and Georgetown townships as the leading sites for restarting aggregate extraction.

The extracted materials from these sites will be used for road, drainage, water main, and sanitary sewer improvements, as well as be available for commercial sales. Any proceeds from the mining operations will be used for the maintenance and upkeep of OCRC facilities and equipment, which will allow the Road Commission to use more of its normal road funds directly toward the much-needed road and drainage infrastructure improvements across Ottawa County.

In order to engage a broader community conversation and to be transparent throughout this process, we will utilize this page to provide project updates and information as it is made available. We have also compiled the following list of frequently asked questions aimed at providing additional project information.

Pit Project FAQs