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Old 05-02-2018, 07:30 AM
 
5,687 posts, read 7,111,561 times
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12, count 'em, 12 sinkholes and it's not over yet, apparently.

Residents in Florida neighborhood evacuated due to massive sinkholes - ABC News

This, on top of the sinkhole activity a couple of months ago in the Marion County part of The Villages.

I can't caution people enough, if you're buying a house in certain parts of Florida, always research to see if there has been sinkhole activity in the past. This area had sinkhole activity back in 2012.

Marion County is #4 in Florida for sinkhole activity. We may be moving up on that chart, though. That's the worst I've ever heard of in one area.
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Old 05-02-2018, 07:41 AM
 
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More information from another source:

"Geotechnical engineers worked all day Monday to secure and test the holes, which have been forming around the neighborhood’s retention pond.

Manoj Chopra, a geotechnical engineering professor at the University of Central Florida, says the sinkholes could be connecting directly to the aquifer underneath, meaning one big sinkhole could be slowly developing.

Officials say the area is prone to sinkholes. The homeowners’ association paid thousands of dollars to fill sinkholes back in 2012"

In one week, 12 sinkholes open in FL neighborhood - wistv.com - Columbia, South Carolina

That's not good news. They'd have to condemn the entire neighborhood, wouldn't they?
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Old 05-02-2018, 09:35 AM
 
Location: Ocala, FL
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Nobody should be surprised about sinkholes in this area. Fore Ranch has experienced several sinkholes over the past several years. Unfortunately, that area is prone to this problem and will remain so for years to come. Nothing that can predict when and where they will occur.

I don't think the entire community would need to be condemned since I don't recall a single home being condemned due to a sinkhole there in recent memory. Most of the sinkholes have opened near retention ponds and at least one of the entrances. I have lived in the area much longer before Fore Ranch was developed.
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Old 05-02-2018, 09:58 AM
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dontaskwhy View Post
Nobody should be surprised about sinkholes in this area. Fore Ranch has experienced several sinkholes over the past several years. Unfortunately, that area is prone to this problem and will remain so for years to come. Nothing that can predict when and where they will occur.

I don't think the entire community would need to be condemned since I don't recall a single home being condemned due to a sinkhole there in recent memory. Most of the sinkholes have opened near retention ponds and at least one of the entrances. I have lived in the area much longer before Fore Ranch was developed.
Agreed. I watched ForeRanch go up and just shook my head. Even more so as I watched the stucco finishes slide down and look like poorly iced cakes. We used to call them the "Wedding Cake" houses.
I do feel bad for the home-owners.

Dax
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Old 05-02-2018, 11:02 AM
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dontaskwhy View Post
Nobody should be surprised about sinkholes in this area. Fore Ranch has experienced several sinkholes over the past several years. Unfortunately, that area is prone to this problem and will remain so for years to come. Nothing that can predict when and where they will occur.

I don't think the entire community would need to be condemned since I don't recall a single home being condemned due to a sinkhole there in recent memory. Most of the sinkholes have opened near retention ponds and at least one of the entrances. I have lived in the area much longer before Fore Ranch was developed.
dontask, what would be an approximate size or radius of the area that would be sinkhole prone, in your opinion?

What I meant was the Wynchase neighborhood of Fore Ranch, not the entire development. And that would be conditional upon what the geotechnical engineer said, if the sinkholes directly connect to the aquifer
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Old 05-02-2018, 11:10 AM
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dax13 View Post
Agreed. I watched ForeRanch go up and just shook my head. Even more so as I watched the stucco finishes slide down and look like poorly iced cakes. We used to call them the "Wedding Cake" houses.
I do feel bad for the home-owners.

Dax
I feel bad for the homeowners, too. Especially for anyone who has their house under contract and is waiting for closing right now. Really, if the area is know to be sinkhole prone, and buyers were not informed, that's a fraud as far as I'm concerned. The really sad thing is, from what I've been able to determine, people who live there seem to like the community overall. Although some of the asking prices for certain homes there are quite high for what they are.
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Old 05-02-2018, 02:45 PM
 
Location: Ocala, FL
6,391 posts, read 10,181,986 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kmarc View Post
dontask, what would be an approximate size or radius of the area that would be sinkhole prone, in your opinion?

What I meant was the Wynchase neighborhood of Fore Ranch, not the entire development. And that would be conditional upon what the geotechnical engineer said, if the sinkholes directly connect to the aquifer
Sorry, I can't answer that question due to the fact that I am not a geotechnical engineer, nor qualified to offer such advice. I do know of a few areas in SW Ocala area that are particularly prone due to known underground limestone caverns along the Hwy 200 corridor.

I am only offering an opinion based on my experience and observations of prior sinkholes and various newspaper articles from the Ocala Star Banner in the greater Ocala area. My own community experienced a small sinkhole in a retention pond within 1000 feet of my home. Fortunately, no homes in my community were affected directly by the sinkhole.
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Old 05-02-2018, 03:25 PM
 
5,687 posts, read 7,111,561 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dontaskwhy View Post
Sorry, I can't answer that question due to the fact that I am not a geotechnical engineer, nor qualified to offer such advice. I do know of a few areas in SW Ocala area that are particularly prone due to known underground limestone caverns along the Hwy 200 corridor.

I am only offering an opinion based on my experience and observations of prior sinkholes and various newspaper articles from the Ocala Star Banner in the greater Ocala area. My own community experienced a small sinkhole in a retention pond within 1000 feet of my home. Fortunately, no homes in my community were affected directly by the sinkhole.
Understood. Thanks for giving me some key words to research, though. I'd just like to pinpoint areas to avoid in our house hunt. If there's been significant sinkhole activity in an area, I'll take a pass. Wasn't aware of the underground limestone caverns, that should be fun to research.
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Old 05-02-2018, 04:00 PM
 
Location: Ocala, FL
6,391 posts, read 10,181,986 times
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Just to mention a few key areas in the Hwy 200 (College Road) area that have known limestone caverns are Paddock Mall, Lowes and most recently the Gateway Plaza. In all those locations no buildings were damaged and continue to be utilized without trouble. Definitely do a search for the Ocala Star Banner to read more about prior sinkhole activity. Feel free to ask for specific areas and I am certain you will get feedback from locals such as myself. Best wishes to you.

BTW: Fore Ranch has evacuated some buildings for safety reasons until the sinkholes were determined to be finished settling over the past several years. Not the first time this has happened.
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Old 05-02-2018, 05:34 PM
 
529 posts, read 1,161,042 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dontaskwhy View Post
Just to mention a few key areas in the Hwy 200 (College Road) area that have known limestone caverns are Paddock Mall, Lowes and most recently the Gateway Plaza. In all those locations no buildings were damaged and continue to be utilized without trouble. Definitely do a search for the Ocala Star Banner to read more about prior sinkhole activity. Feel free to ask for specific areas and I am certain you will get feedback from locals such as myself. Best wishes to you.

BTW: Fore Ranch has evacuated some buildings for safety reasons until the sinkholes were determined to be finished settling over the past several years. Not the first time this has happened.
Also the Walmart on Easy St. They pumped a ton of grout in around the clock before they built. Check out Scott Springs Park just down the street from Walmart to see a part of the cavern opening. Also the area along the 42nd St flyover behind the Hilton has a cavern or two. They are clearing that all out now prepping for construction.

Dax
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