THE VILLAGES - Engineers for The Villages are drilling land near the Glenview Golf Course to find out why so many sinkholes are opening in the area. 

“We’re drilling the area to find out what the problem is,” said Sanford engineer Nicholas Andreyev, who contracts services with The Villages. “We’re going to come up with a solution.” 

The retirement community isn’t the only place that’s been affected by sinkholes. A 12-footer opened up at a Leesburg-area business this weekend. 

Wylie Hill, president and owner of J. E. Hill Precast on West Griffin Road in Leesburg, said the sinkhole formed in the middle of a storage area for 2,800-pound concrete retaining wall blocks. It swallowed at least seven or eight of the blocks, he said.  “It was discovered when the guys came in for work,” Hill said. “A supervisor saw that some of the blocks had fallen over. A week’s worth of production is in that hole. But it doesn’t look like it’s getting any bigger.”  At The Villages, spokesman Gary Lester said, “Sinkholes

Two of four sinkholes that opened up over the weekend sit in the middle of a fairway at The Villages.

Lester said, “Our engineers work very closely with state officials, including those at the Southwest Florida Water Management District, to remedy these situations as quickly as possible. Regardless of where it is, we’re always concerned and want to rectify the situation as soon as possible.” 

Southwest Florida Water Management District spokesman Michael Molligan said that sinkholes are more prone to happen in northern areas of the district, which runs from southwest counties up to Sumter County. 

“The further you move north in this district the closer the aquifer moves to the surface,” Molligan said. “In Hillsborough County and to the north you start getting more sinkhole activity because the clay confining layer is thin enough to be breached. The thinner the layer, the more possibility you have of sinkholes opening. But it’s hard to predict with any accuracy where they are going to happen.” 

At least four sinkholes opened on land behind Dalton Drive in the Villas of St. Simons of The Villages in the last week, one in a resident’s backyard.  Andreyev said they expect to make a recommendation to The Villages later this week on how to prevent further sinkholes in the area.  In the meantime, The Villages closed a portion of the golf course Monday for drilling and terrain examination. Work crews will also fill several new sinkholes that formed Saturday and Sunday.  Besides this week’s heavy rain after months of dry weather, Andreyev said caverns beneath the 4-acre retention area may have caused the sinkholes.  “There are cavities underground and you don’t know what kind of event would cause an imbalance,” he said.

More sinkholes opened up in The Villages Sunday, like this one behind Dalton Drive. Staff photo by Amanda Inscore

Generally speaking, sinkholes can occur whenever there are periods of extreme drought or extreme rainfall. 

Crews may either fill in the cavities internally or cause the surface to collapse and fill it from the top, Andreyev said. 

Dalton Drive residents whose homes abut the retention area say they’re worried about sinkholes opening beneath their homes. 

Dalton Drive resident Barbara Down said a path of sinkholes aligns with her home. 

“What bothers me is they’re in a line coming right at me,” Down said. “This makes you feel uncomfortable.” 

Les Johnson, another Dalton Drive resident, said he’s worried that the sudden water drop from above-ground retention areas and ponds may pollute the Florida Aquifer. 

“Where is all this water going,” he said. “All this water is going into our drinking water.” 

Andreyev said residents shouldn’t be worried about sinkholes opening beneath their homes. 

“They shouldn’t be concerned,” he said. “From the looks of it, all the sinkholes are opening up in that area (around the retention area adjacent Lake Higgins).” 

Bobbie Ketcham said she’s confident The Villages will remedy the area. A sinkhole opened in her backyard Sunday about 20 feet from her home. 

“These are perils and acts of God,” she said. “I am sure (workers for The Villages) are going to rectify this. A lot of people get overly excited. I do not want The Villages to get a bad reputation.” 

Sumter County wasn’t the only place to have sinkholes develop over the weekend. 

Three sinkholes opened up behind a residential neighborhood in Ocala after about four inches of rain fell. 

A large rock fence column and a seven-foot section of fence disappeared Sunday inside the sinkhole that was more than 20 feet wide. 

Two other holes — one 30 feet in diameter and another about four feet wide — opened only a couple hundred feet from backyards, officials said. 

Considering the recent drought problems and now all the problems with these sinkholes it's even more amazing that common sense doesn't prevail. Please read the article below and you find another case where a well funded money machine runs over citizens trying to call for caution. 

Why are disasters necessary in order to make people look and think? Who will be responsible if whole houses start disappearing in sinkholes? Is testimony of "well-paid" experts more valuable than what the eyes can see?

By BILL KOCH
Daily Commercial Staff Writer
06/24/02

BUSHNELL - A state administrative judge, in orders issued Monday, rejected appeals by Oxford resident Dan Farnsworth and Sumter Citizens Against Irresponsible Development and ruled in favor of The Villages and the Southwest Florida Water Management District. 

The ruling paves the way for The Villages’ to begin building 11,094 houses on 4,677 acres south of County Road 466 in Sumter County. 

“Once again the courts ruled in favor of (the water district) and against SCAID (Farnsworth’s environmental group,)” said Villages spokesman Gary Lester. 

“It’s a strong, strong ruling. It’s a big victory for the working folks (of The Villages). It’s facts over Farnsworth. This has been the story again and again and again,” he said. 

Farnsworth’s attorneys have 15 days to file exceptions to the judge’s ruling. After that, attorneys for The Villages have 10 days to respond to Farnsworth’s exceptions. 

The judge’s ruling is a recommendation to the water district to reissue the water and grading permits for The Villages of Sumter project. 

The three appeals Farnsworth filed with the water district have postponed development. The development was scheduled to begin in 2004, but the Sumter County Commission granted the retirement community permission to begin two years early. 

If few or no exceptions are filed, The Villages expects the water district to decide on the judge’s ruling at the agency’s late July meeting. The Villages could begin work on the new project as early as August. 

Farnsworth may also appeal the judge’s decision to a higher court. 

Nancy Linnan, attorney for The Villages, said Farnsworth has little chance of gaining an appellate review. She said Farnsworth’s attorneys have lost legal grounds for appeal. Farnsworth contended that allowing The Villages to continue developing would exacerbate the area’s drought and deplete underground water supplies. 

“Everybody knows we’re running out of water and yet they have repeatedly stated that we’re not,” he said last month. 

Farnsworth was unavailable for comment Monday. He has been in court on a civil suit filed against him by The Villages. 

The county commission approved The Villages’ development plan in May of 2000. The Villages is also seeking to add another 21,000 houses to that plan for a total of about 32,000 new houses in the next 20 years.