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Residents press county on Silver Oaks dewatering, drainage; Sierra Club warns against dredging project
Summary
Residents told the St. Lucie County Board of County Commissioners on Jan. 21 that dewatering and grading connected to the Silver Oaks development have produced silt, odors and low pond levels in nearby neighborhoods; county staff said it is coordinating with the developer and South Florida Water Management District.
Several residents told the St. Lucie County Board of County Commissioners on Jan. 21 that dewatering and grading tied to the Silver Oaks development have left sand, odors and silt in private well water and reduced pond levels in neighborhoods near Tilton Road and Shannons Trail.
"Long story short, everybody around Silver Oaks, Wellwater, we're all in Wellwaterare having... terrible situations," resident Courtney Santorella told the board, describing reports from a community group of more than 90 members reporting cloudy, sandy and foul-smelling water.
Linda Dawson, a neighbor at 2565 Forgotten Lane, said silt and intermittent odor have affected her water: "Ponds are coming back because of the rain, but their pond is super high... I have so many issues." Susan Kane, who said her family has lived in the area for 50 years, told commissioners she is concerned about increased traffic, horses being startled by construction activity and the overall effect on neighborhood drainage.
Patrick Diane, the county's public works director, told the board there were no immediate county determinations he could give at the meeting. He said staff is actively working with Kolter (the developer) to demonstrate the proposal for Shannons Trail and will provide residents an update. Diane also said South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) regulates dewatering permits and that agency's permit limits and the county engineer's review indicated, based on submitted calculations, the permit as issued "would not" be predicted to affect areas beyond the PUD's limits. Diane said staff will continue to coordinate with SFWMD and the developer and that county engineers would meet a resident after the meeting.
Separately during public comment, Linda Smith, who identified herself as executive committee chair for the St. Lucie County Sierra Club, urged the board to oppose any RiverWatch request to alter a recorded conservation easement that prohibits gas- or diesel-powered dredging. "Dredging in this area is contrary to the intent of the conservation easement," she said, warning of risks to seagrasses, manatees and fish habitat.
Other public commentators included Gabby Rothman, who told the board she supported the proposed Buc-ee's travel center. "Yes. We want Buc-ee's," she said.
The board closed public comment after taking residents' remarks. Chair Fowler and county staff said they would continue to coordinate technical reviews with SFWMD and the developer and provide updates to residents in follow-up meetings.
