Pasco To Host 2 Meetings About Land O’ Lakes Sinkhole

LAND O’ LAKES, FL – After a devastating sinkhole that opened in July destroyed seven homes in the Lake Padgett Estates neighborhood, Pasco County is looking to residents for advice on what to do with the site.

Pasco County government officials will host two Community Sinnkhole Meetings in November to discuss future options for the site on Ocean Pines Drive in Land O’ Lakes. The meetings are scheduled to take place at the Land O’ Lakes Community Center, 5401 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., at:

• Saturday, Nov. 4 at 3 p.m. in Activity Room No. 2
• Wednesday, Nov. 8 at 7 p.m. at Activity Room No. 1

Pasco County Public Infrastructure and Public Safety staff will present options for the sinkhole site based on feedback from the Pasco County Board of County Commissioners, Pasco County Engineering staff and USF geologists.

Lake Padgett Estates residents and other concerned Pasco County residents are invited to attend one of the meetings to provide feedback. Information gathered from the meetings will be considered as the county commission makes a final decision on how to proceed with long-term recovery efforts at the sinkhole site.

Two homes (21825 and 21835 Ocean Pines Drive) were destroyed when the sinkhole opened on Friday, July 14. The first 911 call came into Pasco County Emergency Communications at 7:21 a.m. that day.

Three weeks later, Pasco County condemned the houses at 21815 and 21814 Ocean Pines Drive on Saturday, Aug. 5. The next day, the county condemned the homes at 3153 Canal Place and 21748 and 21845 Ocean Pines Drive.

The sinkhole in question opened behind a home at 21825 Ocean Pines Drive shortly before 7:21 a.m. July 14. Pasco County Fire Rescue crews arrived on the scene at 7:36 a.m. and reported a depression about the size of a "small pool."

The hole, however, continued to expand, eventually demolishing the homes at 21825 and 21835 Ocean Pines Drive. A boat on the property at 21825 Ocean Pines Drive was also destroyed when the sinkhole first opened. The hole was estimated to be about 225 feet in diameter and about 50 feet deep before it started expanding again, ending at 260 feet across.

For more information about the sinkhole, visit http://bit.ly/2y7kID7.

Patch Editor Sherri Lonon contributed to this report

Photo courtesy of Pasco County