Neighbors tell Beecher board Lennar work breached safety and noise rules

Resident Sharon, speaking during public comment at the Village Board of Beecher meeting on July 28, said neighbors near Hunters Chase raised safety and ordinance concerns about construction activity by Lennar. "We wanted to come and talk about what we feel is the carelessness and Lennar's disregard for ordinances here in the village," she said, and described unmarked excavation holes, repeated early-morning gravel and cement truck traffic and machinery operating on an easement near a village pond. The concerns included an incident Sharon tied to a gas leak and multiple open foundation holes she said were left unprotected. "There's 7. And it caused a gas leak. Could have been bad. Luckily, it wasn't," she said. She also told the board she observed excavators with steel treads operating on the easement and on streets, and trucks becoming stuck in wet soil. Village Attorney (name not given) explained legal duties for underground utility locates, saying contractors must call for locates before digging and that if a contractor calls and the locating utility does not mark, responsibility may shift. "They have an obligation to call," the attorney said, and added that if a contractor calls and there is a record of the call but the locators do not come out, liability can fall elsewhere. Board members and staff told residents they would investigate. A board speaker urged residents to contact the police department about early starts so the village can respond immediately. "If they're operating before 7 a.m., please call the police department so that we can address it right away and 1 ticket will stop them from doing that," the speaker said. Why it matters: residents described potential public-safety hazards near occupied homes — unguarded excavation and a gas leak — and local officials indicated they would follow up through code enforcement, building inspections and police enforcement. The board said SafeBuild and village engineers handle building and grading inspections; the village attorney noted that surety or subdivision bonds would not typically apply when a builder is only constructing houses on existing lots rather than creating a new subdivision. Sharon and other residents asked how to confirm SafeBuild inspection records for particular lots; staff said inspection records can be looked up individually. The board did not take formal action during the comment period beyond promising follow-up and reminding residents of reporting channels. Residents asking for immediate enforcement were told to call the police for early-morning violations and to submit specific addresses to staff for inspection checks. "We will absolutely look into it," a board speaker said. Ending: Residents asked the village to check locates, inspections and damage to the pond easement; the board said staff and the village attorney would look into the specific complaints and make records available by checking individual inspection logs.