Kyle Robbie, a homeowner at W252 S5251 Sage Road, told the joint Planning Commission and Village Board on Aug. 14 that runoff from nearby construction had discolored a wetland-pond that abuts his property and asked the village to inspect whether required erosion controls and permits were followed. “There is a substantial amount of runoff that went into the pond. The pond is now fully brown,” Robbie said. He asked how the village will “get assessment to understand how much actually came into the wetland” and what threshold would require remediation.
Robbie said the development behind his house—identified in comments as the Belmond development—appears to be working “inside of wetland lines” and within setbacks that residents had been required to observe when they built. He contrasted the costs he said homeowners paid to pull back fill to meet a 75-foot setback with construction activity he described as closer to wetlands. “As a homeowner that was forced to abide by the zoning of staying away from wetlands… it seems very peculiar,” Robbie said.
Tammy Robbie, who also lives at W252 S5251 Sage Road, provided photos to the commission and said the pond’s color changed after recent heavy rain. She said the pond had appeared normal after a historic 2008 flood but was brown when photographed the preceding Sunday. “If the pond was public area, that would be a different story, but the reality is that is part of our property,” she told the board, asking that the village confirm that the developer followed the same setback and grading rules homeowners had to follow.
Planning staff did not announce a technical finding at the meeting; the board president told the speakers their information would be taken and referred to the appropriate staff or committee. “You can take your information, refer to the applicable committee or person,” the president said. The record shows the commission accepted the residents’ comments and indicated staff would follow up; no remediation order or enforcement action was recorded at the meeting.
Why it matters: Residents say construction runoff has altered the condition of a wetland area that they own and expect to remain a protected feature of their property. The complaint raises questions about erosion and sediment controls at active construction sites and whether village or state permits and inspections were adequate.
Next steps: Village staff acknowledged receipt of the homeowners’ submissions and said they would refer the matter to the appropriate staff or committee for follow-up. The meeting record does not document a timeline or a specific staff assignment for inspection or enforcement.