Yesterday, the Tampa Bay Times reported the hole, which is on Spring Haven Boulevard near Little Road, was nearly 30-feet wide in diameter and nine feet deep. However, as of 2 p.m. on Thursday, the hole has since grown to 38-feet wide and 70-feet deep, according to a statement from Pasco County.
Spring Haven Boulevard and nearby Varsity Club Sports Bar, located at 3523 Little Road, are currently closed.
The county first became notified of the hole on the morning of Monday, Oct. 5. Since then, the county has performed visits to the site multiple times a day to monitor changes to the depression.
The county maintains that there are no life-safety concerns currently.
The hole is located on the private property of Varsity Club Sports Bar and the Spring Haven Homeowners Association. They have hired engineering firms to manage the hole.
A possible sinkhole, the cause of the hole is still uncertain, and will be determined by a private contractor.
The United States Geology Survey defines a sinkhole as “a depression in the ground that has no natural external surface drainage.” This means that when it rains, all the water remains inside of the hole. This could cause a sudden collapse of land above the depression.
In the meantime, Pasco County has put up a chain-link fence around the depression and encourages residents to avoid the area.
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This article appears in Oct 15-21, 2020.