Residents raise dry-well complaints as council moves Timnath Landing PD amendment and GID debt steps forward

A Timnath resident told the council during public comment that up to 20 private wells in Old Town remain dry after construction and filling of new augmentation ponds associated with Timnath Lakes, and urged the town to act.

"20 of us, Old Town residents in Timnath, lost our wells and they're not coming back," Carl Elliott said. "They stole our water and the town allowed it to happen. I don't appreciate it." Elliott said his adjudicated well and others were measured two weeks earlier and were still dry.

Planning staff described the town's monitoring and remedy process for wells when augmentation ponds are constructed. Community Development Director Sam Robinson said the site plan approval included a condition requiring monitoring and a baseline measurement taken before or soon after pond construction; a second round of measurements after filling starts a two-year period in which the developer and well owners can negotiate remedies, which can include redrilling or other solutions. "So that started a 2 year kinda shot clock, where the developer and well owners have an opportunity to negotiate, either to redrill the well or some other options," Robinson said. Staff added some well monitoring is still pending where property access permission is required.

Separately, council approved on first reading and set a public hearing for July 8 on Ordinance 10, Series 2025, a proposed amendment to the Timnath Landing plan development overlay affecting roughly 252 acres of undeveloped Timnath Landing (Timnath Lakes North). The PD amendment would adjust dimensional standards in the land use code to allow a broader mix of housing types; staff said final details will be presented at the public hearing.

After the council meeting, the Timnath Landing General Improvement District board convened and unanimously approved two resolutions to engage UMB Bank as municipal advisor (fee up to $26,500 for debt issuance up to $5,000,000) and Butler Snow LLP as bond counsel (flat fee $45,000). Staff told the board the developer has paid approximately $5,000,000 in required infrastructure payments to date and that the GID is authorized to issue debt and impose up to 15 mills for 40 years for debt service on improvements. Both resolutions passed unanimously.

Council and staff said the two-year monitoring and cure process is the mechanism for resolving well impacts tied to the augmentation pond approval; the town will track remaining monitoring access and the negotiations between developer and well owners.