Participants at Graniterock's annual Rock and Run, where about $40,000 is raised every year to benefit two area schools. Photo courtesy of Shanna Crigger.

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On Oct. 11, residents will have a chance to explore the Wilson Quarry in Aromas when Graniterock hosts not only its annual Rock and Run 5K, but also an open house for its Permit Amendment Project.

“It’s fun and high energy,” Graniterock director of communications Shanna Crigger said about the 5K, which has been held for 17 years and draws about 200 participants every year. The 5K always takes place the second weekend in October. 

About $40,000 is raised from the race every year to benefit Aromas School and San Juan Elementary School, Crigger said.

She described the quarry’s rock faces and terraced slopes as “a striking backdrop for a 5K, giving participants a chance to experience the scale and beauty of a working quarry.”

All types of people participate in the 5K, be they serious runners trying to achieve a personal best or people who simply want to walk around and explore the quarry, Crigger said. 

Participants can pick up their numbers starting at 7 a.m. the day of the race, which will start at 8 a.m. 

Signups are open until Oct. 10; visit www.graniterock.com/news_events/events to sign up.

In conjunction with the race, Graniterock will host an open house where people can tour the quarry and learn more about the company’s Permit Amendment Project. The open house begins at 8:30 a.m at the end of 1900 Quarry Road in Aromas. Crigger said signage will be placed to direct participants.

According to the company website, the permit amendment aims to “solidify the long-term sustainability of a critical local source of affordable construction materials.” 

The Permit Amendment Project will “allow the company to continue its carefully managed reclamation activities within the current permit footprint,” the website states.

According to Crigger, the existing use permit, as well as the new one, have no time duration. 

“We’re simply requesting an amendment to continue the current reclamation material operation in an adjacent location,” she said 

She added all decisions about the scope of the reclamation plan and use permit amendment are made by the San Benito County Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors. 

“Our amendment request is based on aggregate demand and production volumes, not based on a specific duration of time,” she said. 

Crigger said tables will have information about a dozen topics, including the project’s overall importance and its economic impact on the region, information about technical studies and research, revegetation work, and land management and community involvement. 

The open house, Crigger said, is a way for people to ask questions and get information about the project in a “relaxed, welcoming” setting.

Graniterock CEO Peter Lemon will be serving Gizdich Ranch pie and there will also be breakfast burritos, coffee and other goods. 

Tour quarry tours are slated, taking place every 30 to 40 minutes at 8:30, 9:10, 9:50 and 10:30 a.m. Crigger said a bus will pick up participants and take them around the quarry to learn about its operations and revegetation efforts.

Crigger called it a “full morning of positive things” both for the community and Graniterock. “We want to be as open and transparent about the project as we can,” she said. 

The quarry “plays such a critical role in our region and community,” she added. “Everything from schools to the roads people drive on starts with rock from the quarry.”

Crigger said she looks forward to meeting new people and sharing the story of the company, which she noted is family-owned. 

“We want to be here for another 100 years” and continue to produce materials, Crigger said “the region depends on,” adding “that’s really what we are here for.”

For more on Graniterock’s history and some facts about the Permit Amendment Project, visit www.permitamendmentproject.com/.

Online, Graniterock is at www.graniterock.com/.

On Oct. 11, people Graniterock’s Wilson Quarry at a 5K race and open house. Photo courtesy of Shanna Crigger.

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