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Thompson Estates rezoning and subdivision plan continued after residents raise drainage and traffic concerns
Summary
Council continued on first reading a zoning map amendment and preliminary subdivision plan for the 10.31-acre Thompson (Thomason) Estates development to the July 10 meeting after neighbors and the developer disagreed about drainage, sight lines and whether a proposed connector road (South Delaware) should be built.
Council postponed final action on a rezoning and a preliminary subdivision plan for a 10.31-acre site south of Frederick Road and east of Michigan Avenue — identified in staff reports as Thomason (formerly Clark) Estates — until the July 10 meeting after residents expressed safety and drainage concerns.
City planning staff said the application requests rezoning from agricultural to R-1B single-family residential and proposes 30 single-family lots (about 2.9 dwelling units per acre) with 2.13 acres of open space. Staff recommended approval of the zoning amendment (Ordinance 2024-49) and the preliminary subdivision plan (PSP 24‑00005).
Neighbors told council the Michigan Avenue corridor already suffers congestion because of multiple schools and existing sight-line problems at a key intersection. Several residents said stormwater from nearby properties already causes standing water on local streets and in backyard areas and that adding houses and driveways would make the drainage problems worse.
"We had engineers come out a couple years ago, and my understanding behind my home, there was a right of way ... I just wonder, is there anything we can do about the standing water?" resident Pat Erber told council.
The applicant and engineer presented a drainage report and said they had revised the plan after meetings with residents and staff. The engineer told council the design reduces the hundred-year peak discharge toward the west from about 20 cubic feet per second to roughly 5 cfs and eliminated discharge to the east — a 70% reduction for westbound flows and 100% reduction to the east, the engineer said.
A central point of contention was a proposed connection of South Delaware Avenue through the parcel. Residents said the connection would increase cut-through traffic and reduce safety near schools. The developer and staff said the city's land-development code generally requires street interconnectivity; staff indicated the city may require the connection unless council directs otherwise. Fire and public-safety staff noted dead-end length and turnaround requirements for emergency and service vehicles.
Deputy Mayor Mary Fletcher moved to approve the zoning amendment while removing the South Delaware connection from the submitted PSP; Council Member Urban moved to continue the items to July 10 so staff and council could resolve remaining questions. The council voted to continue both the ordinance and the PSP to the July 10 meeting by a 5–0 roll call.
