What you must understand
- A subdivision development plan by D.R. Horton was approved with variances for smaller lot widths on some of the lots, sparking legal scrutiny.
- Two residents have filed a lawsuit against the city and developer, citing improper variance approvals, environmental risks, and violations of planning procedures and ordinances.
- Other concerned residents voiced issues about geological instability and potential property damage, although their comments were not officially recorded due to procedural rules.
In response to a recently permitted subdivision on Grandview Road, Alexandrians attended the August 5 Alexandria Planning and Zoning meeting to request different property protections.
The meeting was attended by about a dozen persons. Households spoke at the meeting, asking the city for assistance with possible septic, stormwater, and geotechnical stability issues that they said could arise with the change in topography and landslide potential occurrences in the Kope formation (one of the three component bedrock formations) that wraps along the back hillside area, even though nothing related to the development was on the agenda for Tuesday.
At a hearing on June 3, the planning commission authorized a variance for narrower lot widths on 36 of the 46 lots in the subdivision site development plan under consideration.
D.R. Horton, a Texas-based homebuilder that has been the biggest homebuilder in the US by volume since 2002, is the project’s developer. It was established in Fort Worth, Texas, in 1978, and now has operations in 126 areas in 36 states.
Although it was not covered during Tuesday’s meeting, two Alexandrians filed a court appeal in the Campbell County Circuit Court on July 3, contesting the Grandview Road development’s approval.
The suit does not involve the residents who spoke at the meeting on August 5.
Living adjacent to the proposed development site, the two individuals who brought the lawsuit are requesting that a Campbell County judge reverse the Alexandria Planning and Zoning Commission’s ruling.
LINK nky reached out to the residents who filed the lawsuit, who chose not to comment due to ongoing litigation.
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The incorrect issuance of a variance, safety and environmental concerns, stormwater management, violations of the comprehensive plan and city bylaws, the developer’s prior involvement with these issues, and procedural grounds are some of the main arguments brought up in the lawsuit.
The lawsuit names the Alexandria Planning and Zoning Commission, the city of Alexandria, and D.R. Horton. Taylor Wulff, the sales and marketing manager for D.R. Horton, told LINK nky that the firm had no comment on the complaint.
According to Alexandria City Administrator David Plummer, the city is unable to comment on ongoing legal proceedings.
Because the developer was not present and the topic was not on the agenda, Campbell County Planning and Zoning Director Cindy Minter stated that even if locals turned out to express their concerns during public comment, the remarks would not be included in the case’s official record.
According to Minter, it is only right that the applicant be present to hear the items as they are presented. Therefore, even while I value the comments made tonight, they should truly be made when the applicant is accessible for the next hearing.
There were still several locals who spoke during public remark.
Jen Koenig, a resident of Beiting Drive, said she has been a city dweller for sixteen years. She claims that a house across from her blew about ten years ago, causing damage to the other residences. She claimed that since the tragedy was declared to be an act of God, no one was held accountable.
We are merely seeking some sort of accountability in the event that this construction proceeds and any future damage to our property arises due to the development’s location on this dubious typography composed of shale, Koenig stated.
Koenig gave the planning and zoning commission the requests that the group of citizens had made. Minter stated that the municipal attorney would have to be informed of the requests.
Andy Schabell, the mayor of Alexandria, was present and advised that if you have any questions or complaints, you should use the contact form on the city’s website. Make sure to include your email address so that the city can respond. Residents can also give the city building a call at (859) 635-4125, he said.
Adelaide Koenig, Jen Koenig’s daughter, also gave a speech during the gathering.
Money, time, and the strain on all the structures surrounding the development are the main problems I have with this, Adelaide Koenig stated. How difficult and time-consuming this process would be for the majority of those engaged.
Minter stated that the developer would be notified of the issues brought up at the discussion by the city.
Keith Kennedy, a resident of Beiting Drive, claimed to have knowledge of both land management and geological formation. The presence of sandstone shale, which he described as a fragile geological formation, was another issue he raised.
Kennedy claimed that the development would be impacted by his property.
We have a septic system, so does everybody on that side of the development, and we re very concerned about the filling in of valleys in that area, the instability of the land, he said.
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