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Lennox council approves second reading of Old Time Addition rezoning after neighbor raises floodplain and access concerns
Summary
The Lennox City Council approved the second reading of Ordinance 662 to rezone the Old Time Addition after adjacent landowner Betsy Hills urged protections for drainage, easement access and the nearby FEMA floodplain; staff said access issues will be addressed in the preliminary plan.
The Lennox City Council approved the second reading of Ordinance 662, rezoning the Old Time Addition, after a neighboring landowner urged greater protections for drainage and access.
Betsy Hills, who identified herself as an adjacent landowner, told the council she and her family farm adjacent property on Portland and Cleveland and raised several concerns if the rezoning proceeds. "Is the city willing to work with me?" Hills asked repeatedly, citing tile lines, drainage, and a nearby FEMA floodplain. She said photos from a June flood show how low-lying areas and tiled fields fill during heavy rain and warned that "the tile line cannot be broken or it'll be a mess." She also requested an easement so she can maintain fences and continue farm operations if construction restricts access.
City staff responded that prior conversations with the developer included provisions to ensure access to the western side of the property and said that access could be incorporated into the project's preliminary plan. The council opened the ordinance to public comment before debate and then moved to approve the second reading. Speaker 5 called for those in favor to say "aye," and the motion carried.
The council and staff discussed detention-pond placement and environmental safeguards near Long Creek after Hills cautioned about mosquitoes and runoff. Hills urged that spraying for pests must not pollute the creek.
The ordinance was presented unchanged from its first reading; staff noted the text had been sent to the paper for publication in the event it passed. Council members asked staff to ensure coordination among the city, developer and adjacent landowners on drainage, driveway access and any necessary easements.
The rezoning now advances per the council's approval; staff indicated that project-level access and drainage measures will be addressed in subsequent preliminary-plan materials and developer coordination.
