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New Fate residents raise concerns about Wood Creek amenities, floodplain and HOA accounting during public comment
Summary
A new resident, Emma Jean Smith, told council the Wood Creek neighborhood lacks playgrounds, ponds and walking trails and questioned HOA fund accounting and setback changes.
Emma Jean Smith, who said she and her husband moved to Fate about two years ago, used public comment at the Feb. 3 Fate City Council meeting to raise multiple concerns about the Wood Creek subdivision.
Smith told council: "We live over in Wood Creek...There is nothing over there. No pond, no playground." She said residents have young children and pets but no shared amenities and expressed frustration with property-management changes and responses to residents' requests.
Smith also asked about homeowners association finances and local control. "They told me they didn't have $1,200 in the account. And I was like, how you gonna have that if you're charging $600 a year?" she said, asking where HOA funds are going. She asked whether HOA funds could be used to add amenities when a developer has completed required improvements.
Smith asked about setback changes she had heard about, saying she believed a law changed a required separation distance from 10 feet to 5 feet and that the shorter separation was too close for homes in her neighborhood. "Our homes over here is a half a million plus. So I don't wanna be that close to my neighbor," she said.
Mayor asked staff to follow up: "Michael can you reach out to her or Steven to the floodplain questions and the setback questions," the mayor said, and staff pointed Smith to the parks board — which meets the following evening — as the appropriate venue to discuss new park development.
City staff agreed to follow up with Smith on floodplain and setback questions and directed her to the parks board to discuss possible park development. Council took no formal action on the issues during the meeting.
