Resident urges moratorium on new construction; raises buffer and safety concerns for Walker Estates and Hartman Boulevard

At the Aug. 26 Lebanon City Council meeting, resident Derek Dodson urged the council to impose a moratorium on new construction and voiced strong opposition to a proposed preliminary plat for Walker Estates, a development adjacent to existing DR Horton work on Hartman Drive.

Dodson told the council that the Walker Estates proposal — which the planning commission deferred at its Aug. 26 meeting — would allow a 20-foot buffer from Hartman Boulevard, which he described as inadequate compared with existing sections of Hartman that have larger buffers. He said houses placed 20 feet from an arterial boulevard would be unacceptably close and recommended that the city either expand the buffer for Walker Estates or designate the land as a drainage buffer to provide appropriate separation.

Dodson also raised broader infrastructure concerns, including water and roadway capacity in the face of ongoing development, and asked the council to consider a moratorium on new construction until infrastructure inspections and capacity assessments are current.

The council did not take action on public-comment requests during the meeting; planning commission staff had deferred the Walker Estates preliminary plat, and the item will return to planning for additional review before coming back to council for a decision.

Dodson concluded his remarks with an appeal for the council to prioritize buffers and safety along Hartman Boulevard and to ensure new development does not place residences in unsafe proximity to a planned major boulevard.