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Residents press board over East Blair Road drainage, deed restriction and a developer project
Summary
A long public comment and staff briefing at the Whitley County drainage meeting outlined persistent flooding on East Blair Road, alleged failures to follow a deed restriction on road improvements, and uncertainty about who must pay to reroute or enlarge a county drain that now floods private property.
Residents and board staff spent a large portion of the meeting discussing a complicated drainage problem near East Blair Road that residents say has worsened after recent development and road work.
A resident told the board the property developer’s project and related work appear to have altered drainage paths and exposed a county standpipe outlet that now contributes to repeated overtopping of County Road 700 South and flooding onto nearby private property. The commenter quoted a deed restriction requiring County Road 700 South to be rebuilt to highway specifications at the owner’s expense and said the restriction also required private drain tile to be rerouted as needed to avoid new drainage impacts. The resident asked why the county and the highway department had not enforced those terms and requested a timeline for corrective action.
Staff described the physical problem: runoff funnels from a field down to a low spot where the road crosses, a standpipe and a relatively small outlet pipe were noted in site maps, and private tiles and field modifications over the years have altered flows. Board members and staff said responsibility is sometimes split between the regulated-drain account, the county highway department and neighboring jurisdictions (Allen County was mentioned), and that resolving the issue could require easements, additional pipe, or a formal petition to regulate the drain. Several board members said the practical constraints — tight space between houses, unwilling landowners to grant easements, and the potential for a project to move sediment or crop trash into the lake — complicate a straightforward solution.
Board members said options include pursuing an easement or a relief pipe (which may require cooperation from private landowners), asking homeowners to petition for a regulated drain, or involving the highway department to enlarge or regrade roadside ditches. Staff said they had already begun compiling materials and contacting Allen County about procedural steps for assessments and public hearings on the county portion of the drain.
The meeting did not produce a final resolution; the board directed staff to continue coordinating with the highway department and county attorneys as needed and to add related assessment petitions or hearing notices to future agendas. Residents were advised to submit work orders and to follow up with highway staff about roadside-ditch maintenance and culvert sizing.
What happens next: staff will continue investigation, coordinate with Allen County where necessary, and report back to the drainage board; residents and property owners will be able to file petitions or await advertised hearings to seek a regulated-drain solution.
