PARRISH — WFLA News Channel 8 reported this weekend that dust storms from the construction of a housing development are blanketing a Parrish neighborhood, damaging property and decreasing visibility on area roads.
Rye Ranch is a 1,369-acre housing development that is being built by Lennar Homes on Rye Road in Parrish. The site is across the street from existing homes in the Foxbrook development, where residents say their quality of life has diminished and that they have to absorb the costs of additional maintenance, such as power washing and pool cleaning.
Lennar Homes acknowledged to at least one resident that the dust could be caused by the company's construction activities.
In a letter to the resident, Lennar Homes Vice President Scott Edwards wrote that Lennar was following the "many rules and regulations" it is bound by and that, while he can appreciate concerns of dust or debris from all of the construction activities, the company would "take no further action on any of the requests for compensations or maintenance."
8 On Your Side reported that Manatee County officials said there would be a presentation at the next county commission meeting on new rules and regulations to mitigate dust at construction sites that would go into effect immediately, giving builders two weeks to submit plans to adapt to the regulations on existing projects.
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jimandlope
This exact same situation has occurred in Bradenton at the intersection of Cortez Rd and 75th St, causing havoc in the Coral Shores community. This building project has also caused a right lane closure on Cortez on both sides to accommodate this build. Additionally 75th St south of Cortez has closure of two lanes to accommodate this build. All this occurring during spring break traffic.. is anybody at home in the Commission? James Tierney
Wednesday, April 17 Report this
writerlynn9717
Also live off Cortez, across from Mt. Vernon, in a condo where similar dust storms are happening, as well. Always have to shut car windows going and coming from shopping, and it's curious why so many here are developing coughs and eye problems. My car has to be washed every other day from the dust. I also had to drive through a similar dark dust storm at 75th to Palma Sola Boulevard recently. Just one more reason to vote out commissioners, who have done such a lousy job with developers, allowing them to even bomb us with dirt clouds in our neighborhoods, because there is admittedly a lack of rules and regs over developers. At this same site they bulldozed over, I believe 6-8 pieces of wetlands on it, as reported by Suncoast Waterkeepers. Enough people are not paying attention or speaking out to the degradation of our county natural resources and the impact on wildlife and our citizens. We should all be incensed , because our beautiful setting is being destroyed, while our health is at risk.
Wednesday, April 17 Report this
pattybeenutty
What are our local commissioners doing about these dust storms?
Waiting for a massive accident? Or just allowing the developers to continue what they are doing. Destroying our county.
Wednesday, April 17 Report this
Rlasunto
The residents of the Foxbrook development should keep in mind that when their homes were being built that there probably were the same dust storms, but since there weren’t other nearby homes, nobody complained. The same amount of damage was done to the environment as is happening now. They are not innocent victims they should have known that more was to come it’s like building next to an airport and then complaining about the noise. Sorry but no tears for you from me.
Wednesday, April 17 Report this
rayfusco68
Rlasunto,
You are an idiot, the developers and the County officials are the irresponsible people for this continued lack of concern for the environment and its impact on the quality of life in Manatee County.
Home buyers do not know how their development project was constructed. It is the County's responsibility to oversee the protection of the environment and have proper laws in place to protect its citizens from irresponsible developers or they are complicit, not the new home buyers that have not authority to do so.
Wednesday, April 17 Report this