Johnson County approves Greenwood Place drainage plan amid neighborhood sewer and pond concerns
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Summary
The Johnson County Drainage Board approved Greenwood Place after engineers said runoff would decrease for design storms; nearby residents and the HOA raised worries about a shared pond, maintenance responsibilities and separate sanitary‑sewer problems with the city of Greenwood.
The Johnson County Drainage Board on March 3 approved the Greenwood Place subdivision site plan after county engineers concluded the project would not increase runoff for 2-, 10- or 100‑year storm events.
Dustin Myers of Crossroad Engineers told the board the county portion of the project will outlet to existing roadside swales and that "the runoff generated from the new site will actually decrease in the 2, 10, and hundred year storm events." Richard Hoover, Johnson County planning engineer, said the proposed infrastructure meets county technical standards and recommended approval.
The approval followed extended public comment from residents worried about surface and sanitary drainage. Jackie Scott, who identified herself as a Lincoln Park HOA member, said the south pond is jointly owned and flagged maintenance and access concerns: "We own half the pond, and Wes Jackson owns the other half," she said, asking that agreements be recorded. Several neighbors raised separate concerns about sanitary‑sewer backups and long-standing problems they said involved Greenwood sanitation.
Mandy Lepper, who joined by Zoom, tied stormwater and sanitary concerns together and said past work "has done nothing but make it worse" and that Greenwood Sanitation must check manholes weekly. Board members and staff repeatedly distinguished the two systems; the chair told residents the drainage board reviews stormwater only and directed sanitary‑sewer complaints to the city of Greenwood.
The engineer said Greenwood and the county review distinct jurisdictions and that Johnson County will not issue permits until the city of Greenwood completes its review. Myers told one caller he would email the project plans; the engineer committed to provide the plans to a resident who requested them.
The board voted to approve the county portion of Greenwood Place after hearing the presentation and public comment. The motion and second were recorded and the chair called a voice vote; the motion carried.
Next steps include final plan comments the presenters said they will address as conditions of approval and ongoing coordination with Greenwood for the portions of the development within city limits.