Commission recommends rezoning to allow 19-house subdivision at Guttermuth Road despite neighbors’ flood worries

The St. Charles County Planning and Zoning Commission on March 18 voted to recommend rezoning for 5304 Guttermuth Road from R‑1A (1-acre minimum lots) to R‑1D (10,000-square-foot lots) and approved a preliminary plat for a 19-lot subdivision proposed by McKelvey Homes. The actions came over repeated neighborhood objections about density and stormwater.

Staff described the rezoning as consistent with the county future land-use plan and said the proposed preliminary plat meets technical requirements of Chapter 410, including proposed detention basins and road improvements tied to county work on Guttermuth Road. Jeff Taley, representing McKelvey, said the builder plans "designer series" single-family homes with average lot sizes around 13,673 square feet and two dry detention basins to handle post-development runoff.

Residents spoke at length, asserting historic and ongoing drainage problems where sheet flow and an inlet near Shortleaf Pine Drive have flooded yards during heavy rains. James Henry, a neighbor who said he works in grading and drainage, testified that a 9-inch rain after his house closed created a wide, damaging flow and warned that placing a detention basin above adjacent homes creates a risk if a basin fails. "When we built our house ... we had a 9-inch rain the month that I closed on my house, and it was a disaster," Henry said.

McKelvey's engineer, David Volz of Volz Engineering, described how the site will be graded and how modern detention basins are designed to detain small and large storms, provide water-quality treatment and ensure that post-development discharge rates do not exceed pre‑development rates. Volz said basins are designed to current county (and state M4) standards and for 100‑year storm events with freeboard; he also noted the project would tie into an enclosed pipe system rather than allowing sheet flow across neighbor yards.

Several residents asked the commission to table action to allow further negotiation; others said tree removal and the substitution of saplings under a tree-replacement plan will not adequately mitigate loss of mature trees. Staff acknowledged the applicant has requested a waiver for tree-preservation percentages due to tree scarcity on site and said the applicant will provide an alternate planting plan.

Despite sustained public concern about flood risk, cul-de‑sac placement and neighborhood character, the commission moved, seconded and recommended rezoning to R‑1D, with recorded 'yes' votes by the commissioners present. The commission also approved the preliminary plat as meeting technical requirements. The rezoning recommendation will go to the county council for final action on April 13, 2026.

Developers and staff emphasized ongoing engineering review and required maintenance agreements for basins and stated that maintenance will be handled through homeowner-association covenants and recorded maintenance manuals. Neighbors said they will continue to press for changes to stormwater routing, basin sizing, buffers and tree mitigation during the council review and subsequent engineering approvals.