Polk County Board of Commissioners approve revised sand mine project in Lake Wales

Lake Wales sand mine approved despite resident concerns

A proposed sand mine, which was initially rejected and faced a lot of scrutiny from homeowners, will now be built in Lake Wales. FOX 13's Carla Bayron reports.

LAKE WALES, Fla. - A proposed sand mine, which was initially rejected and faced a lot of scrutiny from nearby homeowners, will now be a reality in Lake Wales.

The Polk County Board of Commissioners approved the project Tuesday afternoon during an appeal hearing.

What we know:

In a four to one vote, commissioners approved Mammoth Grove Mine, which will be built east of Lake Wales off of State Road 60 and near an already existing sand mine.

"You can't ask much more for compatibility for what it is in the area," said Rick Wilson, Commissioner, Dist. 2. "For ya'll it's not. People don't like change, but the [other] sand mine's there, so I'm for this."

The backstory:

In December, the planning commission rejected the project, much to the satisfaction of Saddlebag Lake Resort residents who strongly opposed the mine because of concerns over air quality, noise, groundwater and increased traffic.

RELATED: Lake Wales senior community rallies against proposed sand mine

However, the owner of the property, PH Citrus, appealed and revised their plan, dropping the mine's size from 850 acres down to 650 acres to mitigate noise and any potential dust.

In addition, they'll build a six-foot-high berm around the mine.

Concerned homeowners, like Katherine Pratt, still spoke out against the project during the hearing.

RELATED: Lake Wales senior community celebrates rejection of proposed sand mine

"I'm befuddled to be honest," said Pratt. "They don't have the evidence to prove we're not going to be impacted. We all know that nuisance dust travels through the air and settles on everything. The dust doesn't stay on the mine site and is now in the air. We're going to have to pay the price for that."

The other side:

PH Citrus' attorney, Bart Allen, told FOX 13, they were pleased with the commissioners' decision and had no further comment.

What's next:

PH Citrus also signed a memorandum of understanding with the Saddlebag Lake Resort HOA agreeing that they won’t mine on 200 acres for at least 25 years. If they want to after that time period, they’ll have to seek approval from the county.

"They tried hard. They tried to do the best they can and they did," said Pratt. "We now have a 25-year protection on that property so we'll just have to try again in 25 years."

The mine's lifespan could last between 25 and 50 years, and once mining is complete, the land could be used for future reservoirs, conservation and low density residential development.