Gator Circle North neighbors fed up with dust from nearby construction

CAPE CORAL, Fla. (WINK)—Neighbors in one Cape Coral community say a nearby construction site has turned their backyards into a dust zone.

Darla Parks, who lives along Gator Circle North, says the construction site has made it hard to enjoy the home she moved to Florida for. She brought her concerns to our team during a WINK Listens event in Matlacha, saying fine coral dust has been covering her pool, patio, and lanai furniture for months.

"Our lanai is a mess. Our furniture is a mess. We get the dirt in the pool more than normal, and it's kind of frustrating, you know, because you're constantly cleaning," Parks said.

Parks says it started with seawall construction, something she understood. But now, she says the site has grown into something much bigger.

"Now they're bringing more coral in and more piles in, and more and more to where the whole road is full of nothing but piles in a grinder, big heavy equipment," Parks said.

When the wind picks up, Parks says a fine layer of coral dust blows into her neighborhood. She says she's worried about her family's health.

"You can't sit outside. The wind always blows from that direction," Parks said. "If you sweep my lanai, you find this fine, fine, fine dust in it."

HONC Marine Contracting is working for a private developer, preparing 11 separate home sites. The company says their permits expire on Aug. 15, 2026, so they must be done by then.

The company provided a statement saying they finished crushing coral and the crusher and screener will be gone from the site in another day or two. They acknowledged that the dry season and windy days have blown dust across the narrow canal to the neighbors.

"We are sorry for the inconvenience. If I had heard about this sooner, I would have sent out a pump and temporary sprinklers to help keep sand and dust from blowing," the company said in the statement.

The company added that, now that the rainy season has arrived and they are no longer crushing, they don't expect any more dust blowing. They said the crushing and screening operation did cause dust, but it is not toxic, only annoying.

All that remains to be done is to grade some of the dirt on the home sites, haul away the excess dirt and rock, finish the grade, and lay sod. The company says these operations are much less dusty and noisy, and that the rain will dampen any dust.

But for Parks, the impact has already changed how she uses her home. She says she doesn't want to go outside anymore.

"We bought all new furniture for the lanai, and we have to keep it covered up," Parks said.