TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - Neighbors in Tallahassee's Woodhaven community say unwanted development is causing environmental and health concerns.
For the past year and a half we've shared stories from those living in the Southside neighborhood.
Henry Cannon watches and wonders what will happen to the place he's called home for 46 years.
"They're not supposed to come over on this side of those stakes," said Cannon.
He and his wife picked a house on West Bellarose Street to settle down, but years of construction have taken a toll.
"We have a problem with the dust, with them crushing this concrete and all, machines crushing concrete and all, that's flying in here sometimes," said Cannon.
Sandco is a land development company that's been working near this neighborhood for years.
Crews have been "sand mining" next to an old landfill, and that worries some who've been living here since before Sandco arrived.
"They were hitting pipes, sewer and water pipes. There's no telling what developed in that and what seeped from the old landfill into those areas," said Dennis Prescott, Woodhaven resident since 1979.
Some people who live in the area have basically no protection from the development. In fact, from one backyard, you can see straight into the work zone and the only thing separating this property from that area is a buffer zone that's just a few yards wide.
We talked to Margaret Williams in 2017. She developed respiratory issues as the sandmining continued.
"I don't know if that had anything to do with my illness. I can't prove it, but I know that it didn't help it," said Williams in 2017.
Williams died last year. The health of others in the neighborhood remains a concern.
"I used to get in the yard and work all day long, working in my yard and I enjoy that," said Cannon. "And now, I can get out a little while, and I have to get in when they working out here, because of the dust and all coming in here."
Steve Ghazvini is the key developer behind the project. We called him to get his perspective, but after WTXL Reporter Stephen Jiwanmall introduced himself, he hung up.
That's not stopping neighbors from calling on the governor for help.
"You could have this investigated. You could have it stopped. We recommend to have it stopped before more veterans and their spouses are killed," said Prescott.
The city says the work on the site is consistent with what's allowed under the current permit. Neighbors have been told to notify the city if crews go past the zoned area.
So far, that hasn't happened.
