Residents who live along Sunnyside Road just outside Warrenton are asking the Warren County government to intervene in a dispute over development in the area. 

Residents of the rural area are opposed to suburban housing development that is being proposed by Keeven Family Partnership in a growing portion of land along Sunnyside Road. Residents are asking the Warren County Commission to wigh in on the situation, arguing that the higher-density development will create traffic hazards on Sunnyside, which is controlled by the county government.

The suburban developments would be part of the city of Warrenton. City aldermen have already advanced the future development of 12 acres after a contentious zoning hearing last September. They’re expected in March to consider allowing residential development on an additional 49 acres.

Most of the residents along Sunnyside aren’t city residents, and say Warrenton’s mission of expansion doesn’t represent their interests.

“We’ve had no representation in this matter ... we have no say,” homeowner David Avis told the Warren County Commission during a Feb. 22 meeting with Sunnyside residents. “We would like to have the county weigh in on this with (Warrenton’s) planning and zoning.”

Avis and others asked the county to conduct an independent study of how dozens of new homes will impact the traffic and maintenance needs on Sunnyside Road. Residents hope the county government will put its weight behind delaying the project while that information is obtained, although the county commission doesn’t have much power over development within city limits.

“Ever since the roundabout came, the road has gotten busier because people cut through,” one Sunnyside resident said. “The infrastructure needs to be looked at more to grow, before the houses come.”

Presiding County Commissioner Joe Gildehaus said the commission can’t promise any intervention, but can request their city government counterparts to consider slowing any development until a traffic impact study can be done. Gildehaus added that he would make immediate contact with services for the traffic study.

“We need that information. ... The safety of the road is what we have to look at,” Gildehaus said.

One wrinkle discovered during the discussion is that the engineering service normally consulted by the county, Lewis-Bade Inc., is also the engineer for the Keeven Family Partnership. Gildehaus said he wasn’t previously aware of that connection. He acknowledged that the issue represented a conflict of interests, and said the county would find a different engineer for the traffic study.