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Some Lutz residents describe the miseries of living on a sand truck route, but county commissioners side with the company.
By SAUNDRA AMRHEIN, Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times, published August 28, 2002
Sand coats their homes, cars and pools. Trucks crack their streets.
Despite these complaints, a handful of Lutz residents got no relief Tuesday from the Pasco County Commission, which voted to extend a new sand mine permit to the Geraci brothers at Long Lake Ranch southwest of State Road 54 and U.S. 41.
In the process, the county abandoned an earlier plan to force sand haulers to exit the ranch north onto State Road 54 instead of south onto Sunlake Boulevard in Hillsborough County.
The commission's decision came during a meeting at the West Pasco Government Center in New Port Richey.
Dump trucks have rumbled down Sunlake since 1997, when Hillsborough County inadvertently granted ranchers Nick and Peter Geraci a hauling permit, despite opposition from top county officials. Hillsborough tried to undo the damage in a lawsuit against the Geracis, but later dropped that.
The Geracis' mining proposal calls for removing 1-million cubic yards of dirt over a year, after which the pit will become a lake at a planned residential development.
Residents of Hillsborough County pleaded with Pasco commissioners for help now, suggesting that they insist the haulers use another route off the property.
"We think traffic on (State Road) 54 would be better than traffic on neighborhood roads like Sunlake Boulevard," said Deputy Hillsborough County Administrator Pat Bean.
Since 1997, Hillsborough County has spent $241,000 to clean the sand off the road and repair damage from truck traffic, she told commissioners.
Residents along Sunlake Boulevard complained of noisy trucks lining up before 5 a.m. for each morning's first load of sand. Some feared for their children's safety because of passing trucks. Others said they were forced to pressure clean their homes to remove the sand coating.
"This is what I have to live with every single day," said Sunlake neighbor Ardyth Bahr, who drove from Lutz to the meeting.
If anyone was dozing during the meeting, Lutz Civic Association head Denise Layne cured that when she simulated passing trucks by slamming on the podium.
"Boom-boom!" she yelled into the microphone. "You think that's funny? I've seen the ground shake and windows rattle."
The Geracis' attorney, Ben Harrill, said he and the Hillsborough County officials are negotiating a deal to realign Sunlake Boulevard to avoid the truck traffic. But relief could be another year away, he said.
The commission voted 4-1 to approve the permit. Commissioner Ted Schrader voted no, saying he opposed the use of residential roads for truck traffic. Commissioner Steve Simon said it was less safe and made no sense to force the truck traffic to drive well out of the way up to State Road 54 and then to U.S. 41, when a southern route already was approved. Almost all the destinations for the sand are to the south.
-- Saundra Amrhein covers Pasco County government. She can be reached in west Pasco at 869-6244, or toll-free at 1-800-333-7505, ext. 6244. Her e-mail address is amrhein@sptimes.com.