As City Council members made decisions on the final plat of Wyndemere Phase VII, and a replat of the final plat of Wyndemere Phase IV, lots 1-5, block 26 to common area, they also commented about the progress made in drainage in the area.
City officials said when the rains come this spring they believe the area will sheet flow properly.
Local resident Mandy Roper was at the January meeting to provide her comments, and a statement from residents Jennifer and Jerald Lewis was read by Council member Marci White. Roper was concerned about many of the developer’s activities at Wyndemere including drainage issues, while the Lewis family continued to voice concern about the water drainage coming off the development and onto their property.
Jennifer stated that there had been additional work done by the developer as drainage impacts the Lewis’ property, however, she stated, “Only the rain will tell this spring.”
Janay Greenlee, Newcastle Planning and Community Development director, said there are 109 residential lots planned in Wyndemere Phase VII. She said this property is supposed to sheet flow, and the City now has the equipment and manpower to “shoot” the land in the development to make sure it is still properly draining.
Mayor Karl Nail said in the past the City had problems with sheet flow property because either developers made changes which affected the water flow, or homeowners modified the land and culverts draining their areas and it changed the flow of water.
He said City staff are checking these a lot closer now on final inspections.
Near the Lewis property, the developers had built a concrete wall that was supposed to redirect drainage. Apparently it helped some with area homeowners, but continues to impact the Lewis property.
Greenlee said the developer has been pretty responsive about checking out issues. City Manager Kevin Self said the City staff and the developer had several meetings, inperson and on Zoom, and it’s not likely that the wall will get extended.
He added, however, that there are two lots the developer owns in the area, and they will not be building on those.
Council member Mike Fullerton said he has noted some drainage problems that the developer needs to come in and dress up a bit. White said the area has come a long way with the original issues.
Both the Wyndemere Phase VII final plat and the Wyndemere IV replat of final plat were approved by the Council.
In related news at the January Council meeting, Roper also took time during the meeting’s public comments to share her concerns about the Wyndemere HOA being turned over to the residents. She said residents will be saying no to the turning over until some issues are worked out. One of those is the amount of glass and trash at the neighborhood’s park area.
“There’s got to be a way that this developer can get trash service out there,” she said. “We are wanting to make sure these parks are clean and safe, but we can’t do anything about it.”
She also noted the former drainage and sewage problems at St. James Place, the street where she lives, saying her family took a huge financial hit to get ground cover replaced near the area. She further noted discrepancies concerning whether a sewer lift station was to be built in the area, saying she was originally told that was the case, but now she is being told that is not the case.
Nail said the sewer in the area is all gravity feed and there shouldn’t be any problems with it.
