Sand Springs (Hazleton, Butler, Freeland: violent crime, houses, school district)

[pennsynative]

Can anyone offer me any information about Sand Springs and the town of Drums? What is near that area as far as shopping, entertainment, etc.? Is the Sand Springs community nice? I appreciate your help. Thanks!

[BLUEDIAMOND64]

Are you talking about White Sand Springs in Tafton?

[pennsynative]

No, I am referring to Sand Springs golf community in Drums.

[busy_mom_of_boys]

We moved out of the Hazleton Area because we were not happy with the area. The development your talking about is beautiful. The houses are lovely and the golf course is beautiful as well. However, the school district is Hazleton Area School District. The schools are very over crowded so if you have school age children I suggest MMI in Freeland, it is a private school with out of this world academic.

[pennsynative]

We do not have school age children so SD is not as much of an issue for us. We are, however, concerned somewhat for resale value in the future. We will probably only be in this immediate area for 3 to 5 years. I know there has been talk of building another Hazleton HS and that the kids in Sugarloaf and Drums would attend that new school but nothing has been decided or confirmed. I was told that the elementary schools in the Sand Springs area is very good, it's just when they get to the high school that it isn't as well-respected. It is a difficult decision and we just don't know which way to go with it.

[ScranBarre]

I'd be leery of Sand Springs. Another member came on here ranting about how horribly people there were being treated by the developer in relation to water runoff issues. Butler Township (the community in which Drums is located) is the fastest-growing of Luzerne County's 76 municipalities because as economic growth is coming to Hazleton people are clamoring to move into Southern Luzerne County but the high violent crime in the city proper of Hazleton has driven everyone into Butler Township. Beech Mountain Lakes is nice.

[pennsynative]

I found the discussion about the water runoff issues in Sand Springs but they are two years old now. I would love it if someone could offer me current information as to that community. The homes we are looking at are at the newer area end (Fairway Dr, the Refuge section, etc.) which is all flat area so I'm wondering if runoff is not an issue there. It seems like a nice community and we like the homes there. It appears that most opinions are that Tuskes builds a nice quality home but does not excel in the planning and engineering end of the developments he builds.