Planning commission recommends final plat for Buffalo Springs despite residents’ drainage and well concerns

The Sarpy County Planning Commission on May 19, 2026 recommended approval of the final plat for Buffalo Springs Replat One, an approximately 237-acre project creating 16 single-family lots and multiple outlots northeast of 168th and Buffalo Road.

Staff said the final plat is substantially identical to the approved preliminary plat and that the applicant provided preliminary test data indicating the site can be served by three proposed wells. Staff also noted a connection fee referenced in the record — $96,000 — and clarified in the meeting that the fee is the total amount referenced by staff. The staff recommendation requires a subdivision agreement that includes ownership and maintenance responsibilities for the three wells and for the ponds on outlot B, plus a required exception to the sewer agency to allow individual septic systems where applicable.

During the public hearing, multiple residents urged caution. Gerald Vendesca urged denial, arguing the proposal runs counter to the intent of the county’s urban-reserve policies and warning about cumulative watershed impacts as more areas are developed. John Nap described local groundwater variability, questioned how long wells could sustain reported pumping rates, and described historical pond repairs and present-day uncertainty about the ponds’ capacity to function in heavy storms.

Applicant representatives said three wells had been drilled and reported wide-ranging yields, from about 50 to more than 300 gallons per minute on different wells, and that they relied on professional well testing. Staff told the commission the dam that had been washed out on the site had been repaired and recompacted and that the NRD had been contacted and did not require NRD management of the structures. Staff reiterated that maintenance and any future improvements to the ponds would be addressed in the subdivision agreement and would be the responsibility of the homeowners association.

A motion to recommend approval of the final plat — contingent on specified conditions (including submission of an exception to the sewer agency, a signed subdivision agreement addressing wells and pond maintenance, filter-strip easements, and final survey corrections) — passed by voice vote with seven commissioners in favor and two absent. The recommendation will be forwarded to the Sarpy County Board for final action.