Pasco County Emergency Management says no structures are in danger in Hudson’s Lakeside Woodlands Community, despite a proliferation of depressions throughout the neighborhood in recent weeks.
On Tuesday, a press release from the county confirmed a total of 76 holes in the area around Willow Brook Court, part of a development that sits on top of an underground cave system. The number was more than double the tally of 36 holes reported by county emergency management leaders in mid-August.
But, as people who live nearby worry about their homes, there are things you can do in advance of buying a home that can help determine how prone the property may be to sinkhole activity.
While home sellers are required to disclose any sinkhole activity on a property involved in a sale, they are not required to disclose what geological features may exist underneath that property (e.g. underground caves).
“The developer for a project is required to submit a Geotechnical Engineering Report from a licensed professional engineer at the time they submit a Site Development Permit Application for a project,” wrote a Pasco County spokesperson in an email to 10News back in August. “Once the project makes it through the site development review phase, the Building Department also requires a ‘Geologic Hazards for Building Permit Application Form’ (verifying the Geotechnical Engineering Report) prior to receiving a Building Permit.”
For potential home buyers, it’s critical to do one’s homework before closing the deal. Home inspectors typically don’t perform ground penetrating radar tests to detect geological features underground on a property, so calling in geotechnical engineers can be an important step when determining potential sinkhole risks.
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