Meadowbrook residents tell Andover council backyard drainage leaves yards swampy; staff pledges follow-up

A group of Meadowbrook residents told the Andover City Council that persistent backyard drainage problems have left yards waterlogged, turf damaged and properties effectively unusable after storms and sprinkler use.

Resident Christy Johnson read a neighborhood letter and said neighbors have sought remediation from the developer and builder, whom she identified as Ron Smith and his son Justin Smith. She said the developer proposed to hand-dig a trench across rear utility easements but that residents and an engineering‑trained neighbor believe such a trench would be only a temporary “Band-Aid.” Johnson said the group has asked the developer to fund an engineering evaluation; the developer declined, citing cost.

Director of Public Works and Utilities Rick Landis said staff had met on site with residents, reviewed the master grading plan and provided initial advice about where to proceed. He said the master grading plan “on paper should work,” but he also noted signs some grades may have been altered over time. Landis told residents that a proposed tie into the public storm sewer system would require city approval. He said the city issues lot-grading certificates at certificate-of-occupancy (CO) and that after CO it can be difficult to determine responsibility when grades change; such issues can sometimes be civil disputes among property owners, the builder or developer.

Landis said staff would contact Mr. Smith to address residents’ concerns and that city staff would follow up. “We will have conversations about it and go from there,” he told the resident who spoke.

Council members encouraged the residents to coordinate with staff. No formal council action or vote was taken; staff characterized the next step as follow-up and said further study or engineering could be needed to determine whether corrective work is necessary and who bears responsibility.