Daytona residents urge council to block Rockingham connection as Ridge Creek plats advance

Residents of Daytona Drive told the Lebanon City Council on March 25 that a planned through-connection from Rockingham Road into Daytona Drive would increase traffic, create safety risks for children and pedestrians and could become a cut-through "racetrack" for drivers.

At a public hearing on final plats for Ridge Creek Phase 1 and Phase 2, multiple neighbors asked councilors to require that Rockingham Road remain closed to through traffic and to preserve Daytona Drive as a dead-end street. Several speakers said they had signed a petition: "Out of the 22 houses that are existing there now 21 of them have signed their petition," resident Theta Decker said.

The concerns centered on safety, emergency access and whether the developer's current filings should be governed by a preliminary plat recorded in the 1990s. "We wholeheartedly welcome the addition of homes and families on Daytona Drive," one speaker said, "but we beg you to deny any cross street or through street between Daytona to Darlington for safety." Another speaker, Daniel McClain of 924 Daytona Drive, said he chose the house because it was on a dead-end street and worried that a cut-through would make the street less safe for children.

Why it matters: Council action on the subdivision will allow the developer to proceed with final plats for Ridge Creek. Residents said the existing street layout'including a temporary turnaround at the end of Daytona'has worked for decades and that connecting Rockingham could add dozens of vehicle trips when the development is complete.

City staff described the limits on local authority and the planning process. Planning staff said the Ridge Creek final plats meet the city's subdivision code and that the site has a preliminary plat that dates back roughly 20'30 years. City staff noted the code includes a maximum block length of 800 feet; residents and staff measured Daytona at about 1,300 feet. "Our code states that 800 feet is a maximum distance for blocks," a city staff member said, explaining why the developer's current engineering includes a connecting road.

Councilors asked how the city could address resident concerns. Staff replied that the planning and zoning commission had reviewed the plats and that, because the preliminary plat was approved decades ago, the commission's ability to impose conditions is limited at the final-plat stage. City administration later told the council it would seek changes to the subdivision code to add an expiration or other limits on historical preliminary plats so future long-dormant plats do not bypass more recent planning standards.

What the council did: After the public hearing and staff discussion, the council approved the final plats for Ridge Creek Phase 1 and Ridge Creek Phase 2. The motions to approve were seconded and carried on roll call votes. (See "Votes at a glance" in the companion roundup article for formal ordinance numbers and vote lists.)

Other details from the hearing: Residents and staff raised these clarifying points: - Daytona Drive currently lacks a permanent cul-de-sac at its end; people have sometimes used neighbors'driveways to turn around. - Residents said roughly 15 new houses might be added on Daytona as the subdivision advances and that other phases could add around 35 houses on Darlington, figures given by public commenters and described as estimates. - Rolling Hills Road, a nearby route residents identified as narrow and in need of overlay work, is scheduled for an overlay in the next budget year; staff cautioned widening could increase vehicle speeds. - Planning staff said that because the preliminary plat was recorded decades earlier, the planning commission's window to place conditions has effectively closed; staff said they will pursue code changes to require expiration or reevaluation of old preliminary plats.

Ending: The council approved the Ridge Creek final plats and signaled staff will review subdivision-code changes to address the kind of situation Daytona residents described. Any physical change to Rockingham Road or the developer's final engineering will depend on the developer's final submittal and any code amendments the council adopts.