The controversy over a house called the sandbox at Meyer and Walnut in Kansas City, Missouri, is about to end.

More than 3 years ago, the owner dumped 80 tons of sand on her yard, saying she was tired of mowing the lawn and watering it. Despite complaints, the homeowner did not remove the sand.

On Thursday, crews showed up at the home with a bulldozer and began removing it. Some previously angry neighbors are thrilled.

Objections from neighbors who kept their green lawns in manicured condition made national news. At one point, the city got involved because when it rained sand from the yard would flow over the sidewalks and into the sewer system, clogging it. The homeowners fixed the problem by building a small fence to keep the sand in the yard.

Once the sand is removed, crews will till the ground and replace the sand with sod. Some neighbors said they'll miss the sand.

"I thought it was awesome. There are a ton of kids in the area, and they loved it also. It's nothing that I would personally do to my lawn, but I mean there's no maintenance really required to mow the lawn I thought it was pretty cool," said Branden Cooper.

The house was on the dangerous buildings list 7 months ago after a fire. Now, there are new windows and the inside of the house is being repaired. Some neighbors suspect that once the sand is removed, the house will be for sale.

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Cynthia Newsome can be reached at Cynthia.Newsome@kshb.com.

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