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Residents urge Huntington council to halt proposed subdivision, citing expansive soils and drainage risks
Summary
Two Huntington residents presented engineering and appraisal evidence to urge the council to delay or deny preliminary approval of a nearby subdivision, citing expansive clay soils, a high water table, lack of neighboring-notification, road-access concerns and potential sewer-pump reliance.
Steven Gordon, a Huntington resident, told the city council on Feb. 18 that a proposed subdivision near his home is “not suitable for housing development and has the potential to be devastating to property owners and the community.” He said the site has expansive clay soils, a high water table and drainage patterns that make conventional residential construction risky.
Jaylen Gordon, a certified residential appraiser, described seeing “ponding and standing pooling water,” foundation settlement and mold in crawl spaces of nearby homes. “Homes with settlement, mold, groundwater issues … tend to lead to rundown properties as homeowners are not able to afford the high remediation costs,” she said, warning the council the subdivision could produce unaffordable repairs and foreclosures if built without adequate mitigation.
Both speakers said the city and developer should have required geotechnical testing and engineered foundations before granting preliminary approval. Steven Gordon told the council he and his family met with local engineers and building professionals and submitted a packet of codes and technical notes for review; he said adjoining landowners were not notified within a 300-foot radius as the council’s rules require and that the plat shows a single ingress/egress road that “doesn't meet code.”
The Gordons also raised infrastructure concerns: they said the subdivision’s sewer design would likely rely on multiple sewer pumps, asking who would pay for and maintain “20 plus sewer pumps” and warning that power outages or blockages could cause neighborhood flooding. Jaylen Gordon added that radon and alkaline soil erosion have damaged nearby houses and raised long-term liability and value-loss concerns.
The chair acknowledged receipt of the packet and said the council would “look at your concerns” and review the materials against Huntington’s code and applicable state law. The council did not take formal action during the Feb. 18 meeting; the Gordons asked the council to consider alternate housing sites and to ensure the city protects the health, safety and welfare of future homeowners.
What happens next: the council said it will study the submitted packet and the development’s compliance with city and state codes before proceeding with any final approvals.
