Lake Wales senior community rallies against proposed sand mine

Neighbors push back against sand mine

Retirees and residents of a senior community are saying "NO" to a proposed sand mine next door. FOX 13's Carla Bayron reports.

LAKE WALES, Fla. - Retirees and residents of a senior community are saying "NO" to a proposed sand mine next door.

Saddlebag Lake Resort is located in Lake Wales, off State Road 60.

The backstory:

Tony Latham has lived in Saddlebag Lake Resort in Lake Wales for seven years. It's a senior community with nearly 800 homes.

"Everybody here—it's just one big family," he said. "We just love the opportunity to come here, retire, and enjoy life."

But Latham is concerned that his vital, vibrant community may be tarnished by the construction of Mammoth Grove Mine—a proposed sand mine on nearly 900 acres next door.

Currently, the property is predominantly made up of active and inactive citrus groves and borders the backyards of dozens of Saddlebag residents. 

What they're saying:

Residents are concerned about a variety of issues, including water quality. 

"If something happens to our drinking well, which is a shallow well system, and the water table drops, then we're at risk of losing our wells, and we would lose all of our drinking water for this community," said Dan Clouse, President of the Saddlebag Lake Resort Owner's Association.

"It is a concern of ours to have a community that's so close to some kind of mine that's going in, which creates additional traffic, environmental issues, and safety issues. All of those things are very concerning," said Latham.

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According to the application, mining will take place 24/7, with more than 500 trucks a day leaving the site.

A traffic study was completed as part of the application, which concluded that local traffic and roadways wouldn't be impacted. The mine would operate for 65 years. However, residents are questioning whether they can endure.

"Hopefully, the commissioners are looking further than just 15 or 20 years into the future because lives are more important than sand mines," said Latham.

What's next:

The Planning Commission will vote on the project on Wednesday at 9 a.m. If the decision is appealed, it will come before the Board of County Commissioners.

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