Plat committee approves Shamrock Manor subdivision subject to 10-foot drainage easement

The St. Joseph County Plat Committee voted April 17 to grant primary approval for the Shamrock Manor subdivision on the east side of Hickory Road about 1,600 feet south of Adams Road, conditioning final approval on a 10-foot drainage easement along the subdivision's eastern property line and the county's final sign-off on the drainage plan.

The decision comes after a public hearing in which neighbors raised concerns about stormwater flow and the lack of confirmed septic locations. The committee's action implements staff recommendations from the county engineer and county surveyor and follows a primary-approval recommendation from the health department pending final septic approval.

Sean Klein, area plan commission director, told the committee the primary subdivision would consist of eight lots, seven intended for single-family homes and an eighth to contain a private street, utilities and landscaping. County review found no environmental hazard areas; the county surveyor recommended approval, and the county engineer recommended approval subject to final drainage-plan approval. Klein presented staff's recommendation for primary approval subject to that final drainage plan sign-off.

Michael Knight of Barnes & Thornburg, representing adjacent homeowners Ron and Wendy Whiteford, told the committee he and his clients had reviewed the drainage plan but remained concerned that lot-specific building locations and septic-field sites are not yet shown. "It seems a little bit premature, and we gotta be sure that the drainage and the septics are done correctly," Knight said during the remonstrance.

Bob Bridal of JPR, representing the property owner, said the petitioner had coordinated drainage and roadway details with county engineering and placed notes on lot grading to direct runoff to the subdivision's western ponds. "I don't think we have any issue with adding that easement along the eastern property line," Bridal said when the committee suggested adding a drainage easement to provide a remedial option if runoff affects adjacent lots.

The committee moved to approve the subdivision subject to: (1) final approval of the drainage plan by the county engineer and (2) addition of a 10-foot drainage easement along the eastern property line to address potential future runoff issues. The motion carried on a voice vote; no roll-call tally was recorded.

Next steps include the county engineer's final drainage-plan approval and any outstanding health department approvals for septic systems before plat-recording actions.