Claridon Township trustees Jonathan Tiber and Eric Brindo voted Feb. 2 against allowing Covia/Best Sand Chardon to extend its mining operation farther into Claridon Township, Tiber said Feb. 6.
Claridon Township trustees Jonathan Tiber and Eric Brindo voted Feb. 2 against allowing Covia/Best Sand Chardon to extend its mining operation farther into Claridon Township, Tiber said Feb. 6.
Trustee Roger Miller was absent from the meeting, but Tiber said Miller agreed with the decision, which was made following an executive session. Miller verified that position Feb. 9.
Best Sand, on state Route 44 in Munson Township, conducts extensive surface mining for sand and gravel, with its production facility on the west side of the road.
In 2015, a previous Claridon Township Trustees board approved a consent judgment entry agreement with Best Sand allowing surface mining on about 62 acres in Claridon Township east of state Route 44, Tiber said.
The consent judgment entry, signed by then-Geauga County Court of Common Pleas Judge David Fuhry, was required because mining is not permitted under Claridon Township’s zoning resolution, according to court documents.
In November 2025, trustees were informed by legal counsel that Best Sand wanted to extend its mining operation farther into Claridon Township on part of a 77.5-acre parcel leased from Spencer-Lotusdale Farm LLC, Tiber said.
Trustees postponed action on the request because of end-of-year business and because Brindo, who was elected in November, did not take office until January, Tiber said.
The area proposed for mining is located across Aquilla Road from Aquilla Village, which consists of numerous homes on small lots. Tiber said trustees are concerned because Best Sand typically uses dynamite to break up the sandstone and vibrations from the blasting could damage nearby homes.
At least one Munson Township resident living near the mining operation has complained that his well water has been affected, said Munson Township Trustee Andy Bushman.
Tiber said Claridon trustees also are worried about the potential impact on wells in Aquilla Village.
Rich Wolfe, Aquilla Village resident and former mayor, said Best Sand’s plan to expand farther east concerns him.
“I’m against it. This whole village is setting on sandstone,” he said Feb. 8. “When they put in the sewer system, it was solid sandstone.”
All the homes have wells, some as shallow as 20 feet deep, making it difficult to predict how they would be affected by disruption of the sandstone ledge that runs beneath that part of the county, Wolfe said.
“I’m even more worried about the people on Aquilla Road between the village and Best Sand,” he said, adding there are about 10 homes on the west side of Aquilla Road that could be affected by the proposed expansion.
Brindo said he spoke with Best Sand representatives and expects they will give a presentation to trustees at the 6 p.m., Feb. 16 regular meeting.
“They want to go into details as to what their plans are … how it will affect Claridon Township in the future,” he said. “That’s what we want to learn from them.”
Claridon Zoning Inspector Chris Alusheff said mining is not a permitted use in the township, so a consent judgment entry may be one option for Best Sand to pursue an expansion.
If mining were a conditional use, the company could apply for a conditional use permit and appear before the board of zoning appeals, he said.
Adding mining as a conditional use to the township resolution is something the township zoning commission could consider, Alusheff said.
“The (existing) consent judgment entry doesn’t apply to any other property. It was the result of a suit from 2015,” he said.
Once a lawsuit is filed, trustees may negotiate a settlement, such as a consent judgment entry, in a manner they believe is in the township’s best interest, Alusheff said.
He also said trustees were unaware of Best Sand’s intentions until they were notified by the Geauga County Prosecutor’s Office.
Jayson Cutler, senior plant manager at Covia/Best Sand Chardon, said trustees’ actions stemmed from a lack of communication.
“The trustees were not given any details,” he said, adding the company plans to provide information on the water table, noise and other concerns at the Feb. 16 meeting.
