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Warrick County to notify developer that Lexington Subdivision sidewalk extensions will not be renewed
Summary
Residents of Lexington Subdivision pressed the county over long-outstanding sidewalks. County engineering and planning staff said they will notify the developer that the county will not approve further extensions and will draw the letter of credit if construction is not completed by the expiration date.
Residents of Lexington Subdivision urged the Warrick County Commissioners on Aug. 25 to require completion of sidewalks and related infrastructure, saying repeated extensions for the subdivision’s developer have left sidewalks incomplete and created safety and property concerns.
“Every year, he just asked for extensions,” resident Sean Hebner told the commissioners during the public-comment period, describing repeated delay requests from the developer. Homeowner LaDonna Schmidt said the incomplete work has disrupted her household, adding that it “has stopped us from completing our yard” and that they do not want to invest in landscaping only to have to remove it later.
The subdivision — begun in 2006 — contains multiple newly built homes where sidewalks and other improvements remain unfinished. Residents said a developer letter of credit held by the county is approximately $37,000 and that some recent construction placed fire hydrants in positions that block planned sidewalk routes.
County engineer Bobby said area planning will send a notice to the developer and reminded the board that a letter-of-credit expiration is approaching. Bobby told the board that, before expiration, his office will inspect the subdivision; “If they’re not constructed, then we will pull his letter of credit, and then we will finish the sidewalks with his dollar amounts,” he said in discussion with commissioners (paraphrased by county staff in the meeting).
Molly Barnhill of area planning confirmed the typical timeline: a notice is sent in advance of the expiration and a developer may seek an extension. County staff told residents the developer’s extension request is likely to appear before the commissioners in November; commissioners said they intend to put the developer on notice that additional extensions will not be approved without clear progress.
Commissioners and staff acknowledged the subdivision’s long history of ownership changes and installation errors that preceded the current developer. County staff said they will coordinate an inspection in the weeks before the letter-of-credit expiration, have area planning send the formal notice in September and place the matter on the Nov. agenda so the board can decide whether to accept completed work or draw on the letter of credit and complete sidewalks themselves.
Residents said they want the sidewalks finished as originally approved and asked the board to act promptly. County staff and commissioners said they will follow through with the notices and inspections that were discussed during the meeting.
