Neighbors warn Jackson Estate Subdivision could worsen flooding, raise safety and access issues

Wayne Vanheimer, a Jackson County resident, told the Board of Supervisors the Jackson Estate Subdivision’s preliminary plans do not properly address stormwater and pose risks to neighboring properties. “That outlot X … is going to take the brunt of all this water coming off the development,” Vanheimer said, adding the outlot is inside city limits and has previously suffered bank erosion and drainage problems. He asked the county to require runoff be routed through a protected conduit rather than be released onto the outlot.

Vanheimer and other neighbors raised several specific concerns: they said retention calculations are incomplete or inaccurate, the proposed retention pond will sit directly behind multiple residential lots, the pond could become a hazard for children if not fenced, road grades may be too steep for safe emergency access, and covenants contain only a one-time maintenance fee the residents estimate is insufficient to sustain nearly a mile of gravel road. “We need to wake up. We need to slow this freight train down,” Vanheimer told supervisors, urging more neighborhood input and a fuller engineering review.

County and city officials responded that engineers have reviewed the plan multiple times. A city representative said the city paid about $4,000 in engineering fees and that the city engineer met with the county engineer to discuss a watershed easement and perpetual maintenance agreement for retention facilities. Board members said they will pass the neighborhood’s concerns to county staff and to the county engineer for further review before final plat approval.

The board did not take a vote on the subdivision at the meeting. Supervisors indicated additional communications and meetings will occur as zoning and final plan steps proceed.