Lumberyard debris concerns Pea Ridge residents

PACE— A neighborhood in Pea Ridge is concerned about rainwater, trash and debris from an adjacent business washing into their streets and yards. 

Jerry Lacy, whose father has lived in Metron Estates for 19 years, said he has never been able to open his windows due to the dust coming from Pittman Lumber and Building Supply, the business located on the other side of a chain-link fence from Lacy’s yard. 

“His [black] truck is normally white from the dust,” Lacy said. “On a dry day, you can’t even see the fence because it’s like a fog.” 

The dust isn’t the Lacys' lone concern; there have been problems with water runoff and trash coming from the lumber yard into their yards and the neighborhood streets. 

“It’s an unsightly mess,” Lacy said. “They are supposed to be building a park back here, and everyone has to see that when they come into the street.” 

In May, Santa Rosa County District 1 Commissioner Sam Parker came to Metron Estates to hold an informal meeting with residents about possibly constructing a park on about two acres of county-owned land at the 4600 block of Easter Street. 

At the meeting, water runoff was one of the issues neighborhood residents brought to Parker’s attention. Lacy said he also talked to Parker about the trash. 

Lacy has contacted the county about issues with the storm water damage, and county workers recently came out and put up a border at the fence where the water was entering the street from a holding pond in the lumber yard. 

Glenn Bailey, the assistant director of public works in Santa Rosa County, said there was only one work order to fix the water runoff, and it was fixed within three weeks. 

“We built a berm and tried to redirect the water away from the street and the county right-of-way,” Bailey said. “It was causing the lumber yard to flood and the lumber yard does have the right to discharge a certain amount of water, so they did have to open up that berm to let that water be directed back on to the county right-of-way.” 

Bailey said that if a complaint is made about the trash, the county will come pick it up.

“It is an unfortunate situation there; the drainage is not real good,” Bailey said. “I hate it that he was upset, but we will certainly go out and take a look and clean up anything that needs to be cleaned up.” 

Lacy isn’t the only resident of Metron Estates with these concerns. Three neighbors, who asked not to be named to avoid issues with the lumber yard, said they regularly deal with the mud the water runoff causes and a large amount of dust. 

“I haven’t picked up trash from my yard personally,” a neighbor said, “but you can see it everywhere; it’s an eyesore.” 

Tara Turner, the owner of Pittman Lumber and Building Supply, said she didn’t know there was a problem with trash; she only knew about the drainage problem and that the county took care of that. 

“We haven’t heard anything,” Turner said. “We have a fence all the way around and they’re actually working on a fence behind our building right now. I guess I’m not really familiar with what they’re talking about.” 

Turner said she plans on getting the garbage cleaned up. 

“This is the first time that I’ve heard anything, but I will get them to go over there and address it,” she said. “I’ll get it cleaned up, that’s not an issue.”

ISSUE: Rainwater, trash and debris from Pittman Lumber and Building Supply are entering the streets and yards of the Metron Estates neighborhood in Pea Ridge. 

LOCAL IMPACT: The trash and damage from water runoff could hinder construction of a possible park County Commissioner Sam Parker wants to construct on about two acres of county-owned land at the 4600 block of Easter Street in Metron Estates.

This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: Lumberyard debris concerns Pea Ridge residents