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Residents blame Kings Court grading and clogged drains after weekend flooding; commission seeks report
Summary
Homeowners from Acorn Village and a local business owner described flood damage they say followed grading at the Kings Court development and cited blocked state drains; the Monongalia County Commission asked staff to investigate and report back.
Residents from Acorn Village and a Dellslow property owner told the Monongalia County Commission on June 18 that recent grading and earthmoving linked to the Kings Court development, together with clogged roadside drains, contributed to severe flooding over the prior weekend.
The homeowners’ group was represented by Lou Anne Hendershot, who said the neighborhood has “been significantly impacted by the priorities given to large scale developers over the individual homeowners.” Hendershot said work by the Kings Court developer deviated from plans and that “a significant portion of this work proceeded without the full awareness of the planning commission and resulted in a flooding event that significantly damaged many of our properties.” She asked, “Who is going to protect us?”
Another Acorn Village resident, Nancy Eisentraut, described the June flooding as “nothing short of shameful,” saying she had repeatedly warned county staff and that, after calling the developer during the flood, “no one from King's Court Development showed up to even see what was occurring.”
Chad Matheny, a local landowner and business owner, told the commission he has recorded drains that are “totally stagnant” and that a drainage way to Deckers Creek appears plugged. Matheny said he had contacted the State Division of Highways and was told the agency viewed the problem as private-property related; he asked the commission what residents should do to correct the problem and whether the county would intervene if a landowner pumped water to the edge of the road.
Commissioners acknowledged the complaints and said they will seek more detailed information from county planning staff. Commissioner Sean said he regularly receives information from Ms. Eisentraut and asked county planner Andrew to prepare “a summary report” describing what happened over the weekend and whether developer actions could have contributed to the flooding. The commission’s comments indicated this is a fact-finding request for staff rather than an immediate enforcement action.
The commission also noted outreach to the State Division of Highways and the county floodplain coordinator. Commissioner Tom reminded residents that state crews may be limited in what they can do on private property and that resolving ownership and responsibility can be a civil matter between property owners.
The commission did not adopt a formal enforcement order at the meeting; instead members directed staff to investigate and report back so the commission can respond with factual findings to affected residents.
Looking ahead, commissioners said any formal enforcement or permitting action would follow the county’s planning process and depend on what the planner’s review and state agencies determine.
