Lake Wales senior community celebrates rejection of proposed sand mine

BARTOW, Fla - A senior community in Lake Wales is celebrating because a proposed sand mine will not be constructed next door. 

What we know:

Polk County Planning commissioners voted to reject the project Wednesday afternoon after a room full of people showed up in protest.

PREVIOUS: Lake Wales senior community rallies against proposed sand mine

The room full of Saddlebag Lake Resort residents burst into cheers after the commission voted to reject the nearly 900-acre mine that would've bordered the community off State Road 60.

"Oh, I feel great now," said Dan Clouse, President of the resort's Board of Directors. "I mean, earlier today it was not so great. It's wonderful now. This has been just a burden on all of us."

Residents were concerned that the mine would negatively impact their health, the environment, including water quality and water levels, property values, traffic, and so on. 

READ: Frostproof man behind bars for Lake Wales shooting that left 1 dead: Police

"Commissioners, Saddlebag owners deserve economic protection," said one resident during public comment. "This is not about real estate commissions. These are facts of real estate impacts being communicated by a real estate agent for the community."

What they're saying:

The attorney for the property owner, PH Citrus LLC, denied claims that operations would impact the Upper Floridian Aquifer and reduce water levels in nearby lakes. He also denied that there would be a significant increase in local traffic or that the dust from the site would be harmful to health, as some residents had raised concerns about.

"There's a lot of fear baked into what you heard from residents," he said. "There's a lot of half-truths and inaccuracies, and that doesn't count as common and substantial evidence."

Clouse believes the community showing up in full force helped make a difference. "The other thing we were told was they had never seen a full boardroom, and today we made sure we had a full boardroom," said Clouse. "That was a first for them, so I think that played a little into it."

What's next:

If the decision is appealed, the issue would go before the Polk Board of County Commissioners.