Levy County commissioners deny special‑exception request for Anderson Columbia sand operation after water, traffic and compatibility concerns

The Levy County Board of County Commissioners voted on Dec. 16 to deny a special‑exception application from the owners of a 99‑acre parcel at 11986 Northeast State Road 24 to allow a non‑blasting sand extraction operation to be run by Anderson Columbia.

The decision followed presentations from the applicant and county staff, expert testimony on water risks and more than eight hours of public comment, much of it opposed. Jose Lopez, the applicant’s agent with Kimberly Horne & Associates, told commissioners the proposal would be a “non‑blasting mine” intended for general construction and roadway projects and that the operation would be limited, saying, “there's not gonna be any explosives or anything like that” and describing a plan for on‑site dust mitigation and a 150‑foot buffer at some residential parcels.

But hydrology testimony and repeated resident complaints centered on groundwater and long‑term water quality. Dr. Robert Knight of the Florida Springs Institute, introduced by neighbors’ counsel as an expert on springs and aquifer systems, warned that excavating into shallow,…