Lockport council approves amended Serenity development plan after hours of horse‑farm and school capacity concerns

Lockport — The City Council voted to approve zoning changes, preliminary and final plats and an amended annexation and development agreement for the multi‑phase Serenity subdivision, resolving a weeks‑long controversy after more than an hour of public comment from nearby horse‑farm owners, veterinarians and school advocates.

Residents and stakeholders told the council the proposed density and construction would harm nearby equine operations and strain local schools. "There are 800 horses within 2 miles," said Sue Ann Curtis, a property owner near Oak and Bridal, describing what she said were risks to animal health from light, noise and air quality. "All of these things can seriously injure a horse and even kill it." Veterinarian Bridget Peel told the council, "the light, the noise, the air pollution, the traffic, all of those things are gonna be negatively impacting the equine community in the area," and urged greater inclusion of the horse community in planning.

Council and staff discussion focused on two policy changes requested during debate: whether Unit 2 should be rezoned from R4 (multifamily) to C2T to allow mixed uses, and whether specific bedroom‑type quotas in the annexation agreement should be removed while preserving the total number of units. Lance (city/development staff representative) said the bedroom quotas could be removed while keeping the total unit cap intact and noted changes to bedroom mix historically trigger an amendment only when total unit count changes. "I would say that you could offer that as a condition of your approval, to make that modification," Lance said.

Council members introduced and adopted an amendment to change Unit 2 to C2T with multifamily allowed as a permitted use rather than a special use; they also voted to remove bedroom‑type quotas from the annexation agreement while keeping the overall unit cap. The motion and subsequent roll call votes carried. In discussion the city attorney and staff described that removing the bedroom breakdown would provide flexibility to reflect market demand but that any increase in the total unit count would require a return to council as a major amendment.

Speakers also urged the council to coordinate with Fairmont School District on transition planning and capital impacts. "We didn't have the opportunity to collaborate with the builder on a transition plan at an earlier stage," said a district representative, stressing that Lockport's ordinance limits transition fees to capital improvements and does not cover operational shortfalls. In reply, council members noted anticipated property‑tax revenue and one‑time funds but acknowledged timing and operational gaps the district must manage.

The council approved the amended annexation and development agreement for Serenity and the related resolution, with the amendment for Unit 2 and the removal of bedroom quotas included.

The approved actions leave in place the total authorized number of units for the development. Council members said future changes that would increase that total must return as formal amendments. The developer and city staff said they would continue to work with stakeholders on trail surfacing, multi‑use path access and maintenance obligations; Lance said the trail would not be constructed "right off the bat" and that the council could consider a master plan for equestrian connectivity.

Next steps: the annexation and final development documents are approved as amended; implementation will follow the timeline and conditions in the annexation agreement and any required future amendments will return to the council for approval.