MOORE HAVEN – Limiting truck traffic on residential roads in Muse continues to draw controversy in Glades County. Residents are concerned about truck drivers using Glades County roads to access dirt or sand mines in neighboring counties and about damage to residential roads from trucks coming and going to mines in Glades County.

At the May 14 meeting of the Glades County Commission, some homeowners complained the county can’t afford to keep repairing the roads damaged by heavy trucks. Others spoke out for the rights of the property owners.

“I’m here for landowner rights,” said Chad Mudge “If you can’t apply to use your property within reason, you don’t really own the land.”

“Shutting the road down, some of the guys it directly affects their businesses,” said Fred Kolbie III.

“It just seems like a mine is a big thing. This affects all the neighbors. It is just going to wreck the roadway,” said Robert Schulz.

James Quigley said he is concerned about safety. “The trucks we’re dealing with now can weigh 50,000 pounds,” he said. Tractor trailers can go up to 80,000 pounds. He said Florida Highway Patrol does not have enough officers on duty to conduct safety inspections.

He told the commission about being run off the road when going around a curve because an oncoming truck was over the center line. He said he has clocked trucks at 70 mph fully loaded.

“We need to know the load level the road was made to withstand and how much damage can be done to the road, especially during the rainy season,” he said.

“On Sunset Terrace, I see an excavator digging another pit,” he continued. “They’re selling the dirt. These drivers are driving the speed they drive because they want to make the extra load a day.”

D.J. McGlothern said applications haven’t even been made for land use change and special exceptions for the mine Bayshore Farms wants to put in on their 319-acre property. He said Steve Singletary and his planner announced their plans in April.

“Most everybody in the Muse area does not want the mine to go in out there on that property,” said McGlothern.  “Any mine in Glades County that will open up access to a county road is bad for the people,” he said.

“If you have dump trucks tearing up county roads, you are going to approve and spend money to fix those roads,” he said. If the county depletes the road department’s budget with these emergency repairs, that means there will not be funding for work on the county’s back roads, he added.

“I’m digging 50 acres. That’s all I'm asking,” said Steve Singletary. “I will fix the road, whatever happens to the road,” he continued. “There will be scales. They will abide by the law.”

In a related matter, commissioners voted 3-1 to establish a “no trucks zone” on Fermwood Lane in Muse from Wren Street to Loblolly Bay Road. Commissioner Tony Whidden voted “no.”

County Attorney Richard Pringle said this is a stretch of road that can be and has been impacted by truck traffic.

The ordinance exempts:

• Agricultural use trucks, which are protected under state law;
• Trucks related to construction on that street;
• Trucks delivering goods to properties on that street.

Pringle said trucks traveling to and from a legally permitted construction site on that road would not have to get a special permit. He said digging ponds and moving material around related to agricultural use are covered by state statute.

Pringle reminded the audience the vote had nothing to do with the sand mine.

In other business, commissioners  approved spending $185,000 on emergency road repairs to County Road 74.