Neighbors and commissioners press developer on sewer and buffer plans for proposed Lexington Road rezoning

Commissioners heard a substantive public conversation April 21 about sanitary sewer, stormwater and buffers tied to a rezoning request for multiple parcels at 4190 Lexington Road and nearby addresses.

Planning Director Bruce Lonnie described a two‑part request to change future land use to mixed density residential and rezone properties to RM1. The concept plan showed recombined parcels, a creek running through the site and developable areas pushed away from the creek. Planning recommended approval of the future land use change and the RM1 rezoning, subject to later plan‑review corrections.

At public comment, Jeff Carter – the civil engineer on the project – said the applicant downscaled density from an earlier RM2 submission and that many lots would be typical 100‑ft‑deep by 40–50‑ft‑wide lots. Nearby resident Ken Portier challenged a sanitary plan described in public‑utilities notes that relied on holding tanks and individual pumps on lots that would store dry‑weather flow until sewer capacity allowed off‑peak discharge. Portier presented arithmetic and failure‑rate concerns, asking who would service pumps, who would pay for maintenance, and where spills would go if pumps failed. Commissioners pressed staff and the applicant for additional details on long‑term maintenance and the temporary nature of the proposal. "It is an atypical approach to have a series of holding tanks on lots this small," Bruce Lonnie said, adding the county has no other project at this scale using that method.

Commissioners also discussed buffer widths (several called for larger setbacks than the 25 feet proposed), emergency access, and whether the commission should delay action until county sewer capacity upgrades are completed. Staff noted the site's current zoning already allows a significant number of bedrooms and the proposed plan represents a small net gain in bedrooms once infrastructure questions are addressed. No final rezoning vote occurred; the item remains on the agenda for further review and possible future action.