SANFORD, Fla. —
In Seminole County a major project related to SunRail could be derailed because of an unkempt piece of property.
The Florida Department of Transportation can't build on the land along State Road 46 in Sanford because the property owner has racked up huge code enforcement fines.
Construction on Sanford's future SunRail stop is under way, but right now, anyone hoping to walk to the station would have to follow the same path Sherman Smith takes on the shoulder of busy S.R. 46.
"I stay inside the white line and the cars still come over," said Smith, describing the sometimes-harrowing walk.
FDOT plans to build two miles of sidewalks but they have run into a problem; the county has a lien on the property where the sidewalks are to go.
Code enforcement violations, for issues like overgrown grass, go back more than a decade and total $100,000 for the property owners.
"We'll have to leave that out of the project, or concentrate on just building the project on the just the north side of the road," said Seminole County engineer David Martin.
Or FDOT could scrap the sidewalk plans all together.
The elderly woman who owns the land told the county she can't afford the fines. The county now has to decide whether to give her a free pass and waive the lien.
County officials said that's probably what they will have to do, if they want to make it safe for pedestrians to reach the SunRail station.
"It'd be better. Yeah, cars wouldn't have to worry about you; they know they got the sidewalks. They have no business coming up on the sidewalks," said Smith
The property owner declined Channel 9's request for an interview.
The Seminole County Commission will decide whether to waive the lien at a Tuesday meeting.
WFTV
