In a rare split, the Wright City Board of Aldermen nearly denied preliminary approval for a subdivision expansion during a hearing in January.

The divide was over whether the Gettysburg Commons subdivision, which is located west of Bell Road, should have a future expansion delayed until developer Cannon Builders addresses complaints from existing residents.

A request for preliminary approval of the expansion area home and street layout was presented to the aldermen on Jan. 27, getting a 2-1 vote for approval. The preliminary approval gives the city’s blessing for the developer to proceed with extensive lot surveying, engineering, and street and utility construction, before final city approval to build and sell homes is granted at a later date.

At issue was whether aldermen should withhold such approvals due to complaints about previous project areas.

Three current residents of the Gettysburg neighborhood told the aldermen about longstanding issues in their neighborhood:
1) Flooding from a small creek turns one or more backyards into a swampy mess with odors and pests;
2) A neighborhood playground that has been promised for more than a decade has not been provided;
3) Some homes are kept in a poor condition, but the developer controls the homeowner association and allegedly has not enforced HOA standards.

City Administrator Jim Schuchmann commented that the creek flooding is being caused by siltation in the waterway that needs to be cleared.

Developer representative Monte Cannon responded to those concerns during the hearing, saying that he will work together with the city to address any flooding issue. Cannon said he has been waiting until the subdivision is 50% built out, meaning about 90 homes, before transferring control of the homeowners association, and that just a few more homes are needed to cross this threshold.

He added that he is waiting to install the playground at the same time the HOA is activated, and that installation should happen this summer.

These answers were not sufficient for Alderman Ramiz Hakim, who proposed withholding approval until Cannon Builders meets its obligations to residents. Hakim particularly emphasized the uninstalled playground.

City Attorney Paul Rost cautioned against this approach. The question before aldermen that evening was whether the layout for the expansion area is compliant with city code, Rost said. He advised that any other issues need to be addressed separately.

“When it comes to subdivision plats, if the plat meets our requirements ... there’s no reason for the city to not approve the plat,” Rost explained. “We can’t tie the issues that might be in Plat No. 1 to Plat No. 7. We just have to work with the developer to try to take care of the issues existing in the other plats.”

Acknowledging that advice, Aldermen Don Andrews and Karey Owens voted to give preliminary approval to the Gettysburg Commons expansion. Hakim voted against. Alderman Nathan Rohr was absent.

All three voting aldermen later took to their public Facebook pages to further explain their votes.

Hakim described the ruling as “not the greatest decision.”

“We must have controlled and wholesome growth. However, last night’s vote from the board was not a reflection of that,” Hakim wrote, adding that he will seek a new ordinance to hold developers accountable to their promises.

Andrews and Owens, meanwhile, noted that the developer had given a public commitment to working with city staff and residents to resolve the complaints, and that issues can still be addressed before final approval.

Owens noted that city ordinance does not state when certain amenities need to be completed by developers, or when control of homeowner associations needs to be transferred to the homeowners. Both are issues she wants the board of aldermen to address.

“I’m not a fan of over-regulation, but as we continue to grow and attract new developers, we want to have necessary protections in place,” Owens wrote.