Citrus commissioners grill FDOT on Suncoast Parkway fill sourcing as residents warn of sand-mining risks

The Citrus County Board of County Commissioners heard a detailed briefing Tuesday from Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) staff about fill sourcing for the Suncoast Parkway extension and an FDOT request to add flexibility in how fill could be obtained.

The request, FDOT officials said, was intended to give the agency options if contractor-supplied fill proved insufficient, including buying or using properties close to the project for staging and fill, or acquiring fill through contractors. Justin Hall, secretary of Florida’s Turnpike Enterprise, told the board, “This request before you today adds a valuable tool to our toolbox to allow for greater flexibility in the event that the total amount of fill cannot be met by the currently planned sources through our contractors.”

Why it matters: Commissioners said the county needs the extension to relieve long-running traffic problems but warned that broad exemptions or fast-tracked land-use changes could open the door to sand-mining activity near neighborhoods and springs. More than two dozen residents from Pine Ridge, Beverly Hills and Crystal River attended the meeting and repeatedly raised concerns about water quality, noise, dust and traffic tied to potential mining and staging operations.

FDOT explained the technical problem as material shortfalls: the extension’s first phase requires millions of cubic yards of fill and, if planned borrow sites or contractor sources cannot deliver, FDOT wants the option to use other nearby properties quickly. Hall said FDOT is also exploring state purchase of property, a move that would be exempt from county permitting, adding that the contractors “have been able to source material through various properties, some that are already permitted and some that are going through the county mine approval process now.”

Commissioners pressed for limits, public process and drainage safeguards. Commissioner Jeff Kennard warned that if the county altered its land-development rules and a private mining application later failed, “then the district or their contractor is short an awful lot of fill,” adding the scale of material involved could be “202,000 to 250,000 truckloads” for the first segment. Commissioner Diana Finnegan urged that any changes not bypass public hearings and stressed concerns about drainage: “How do all these different properties, if we waive this ordinance in Citrus County, start changing the topography without us looking at it?” she asked.

Residents at the meeting linked the fill discussion to a pending private sand-mining application that has drawn strong opposition. “Sand mining should not be allowed in every single land use district within 5 miles of the Suncoast Highway on the future land use map,” resident Colleen Farmer told the board during public comment. Others cited a recent legal fight in Levy County and warned of risks to springs and the aquifer. “The Levy County sand mine is not currently open because a judge stopped the mine from operating,” said Susan Sterling, describing that case as a cautionary example.

County staff and FDOT officials said they were not asking the board to approve any immediate ordinance change at Tuesday’s meeting. Secretary Hall repeatedly framed the request as a contingency tool, saying FDOT was not seeking carte blanche and that contractors had largely addressed the immediate supply need. “For sheer magnitude, this job has 4,500,000 cubic yards of fill,” Hall told commissioners, explaining why FDOT had asked for flexibility in where fill could come from.

What the board did: Commissioners did not vote on any ordinance change Tuesday. Several members said they would not support dropping public hearing requirements or blanket waivers; commissioners repeatedly emphasized any change would need to respect the county’s procedures for public notice and environmental review. Commissioner Janet Barrett said she was not comfortable “other departments or divisions overstepping what we as a county have,” and both Finnegan and Holly Davis said they favored preserving public-notice protections if FDOT or contractors seek local approvals.

Next steps: FDOT and county staff will continue discussions. The pending private mining application will be heard first by a special master on June 27; any later BOCC action would follow that process. Commissioners encouraged residents to submit written comments for the record and urged all parties to preserve established permitting and environmental review steps rather than rely on broad, preapproved exemptions.

Ending: The meeting underscored a recurring tension in fast-growing Florida counties: how to balance large regional infrastructure projects that require millions of cubic yards of material with local land-use protections and community concerns over water, noise and traffic. Commissioners asked FDOT to return as needed, and several urged that any changes preserve public hearings and environmental safeguards.