The Delhi Township Board of Trustees voted to authorize the administrator to sign a letter of intent with Emmett's LLC related to the Seaton Sports Complex, including county-process steps to vacate a portion of Clemby Drive and a shared-parking agreement with the sports complex.

Administrator Miller said the township will follow county procedures to vacate the southern portion of Clemby Drive beyond the township's entrance drive and said the vacated right-of-way would be donated to the developer. Under the arrangement the township would have shared access to the Seaton parking lot for overflow parking during large events at Delhi Town Square; Miller said the parking is not expected to be used daily but would provide relief for larger summer events.

After the motion passed, resident Robert Smith of Greenwell Avenue addressed the trustees during public comment and said crews working on the Seaton site recently removed mature trees and underbrush that had buffered several backyards from construction. Smith said workers had ground trees nearly to the ground, regraded the property and created a prominent dirt berm adjacent to residents' yards. He said the removal reduced privacy and displaced wildlife and that proposed remedies (he cited a contractor's statement about a six-foot privacy fence) would not block 80-foot field lights planned for the site.

"If they can spend 16-some million on this, they can spend a few grand for a couple of trees," Smith said. He asked township officials to press the developer to replace landscaping and provide clearer answers about lighting and grading.

Administrator Miller told Smith the township would arrange direct contact between the neighbors and the Seaton project representatives and noted that the developer had received a variance for the height of the field lights. Miller said the project must meet a photometric plan that limits foot-candles at the property line and that the township would follow up. "There's not a period at the end of the sentence," Miller said of the developer's text response, but added, "we will get you in to the conversation." Trustee Davis urged officials to hold the developer to earlier promises to work with bordering neighbors.

The motion to authorize the letter of intent carried by voice vote. Trustees and staff said they would contact Seaton representatives and the on-site construction manager to arrange a meeting with affected homeowners.

Ending: Township officials said they would follow up with Seaton representatives and asked residents to provide contact information to staff for that outreach; the board did not modify the approved letter of intent during the meeting.