A group of around 20 homeowners attended the Auburn Planning Commission's meeting last week to protest a proposed subdivision off of South College St.
The group of residents said the development would have made an already dangerous street even more so, complicated water management in the area and threatened the character of the existing surrounding neighborhoods.
The plan for The Talons subdivision, developed by the Foresite Group, would have cut into existing forest along South College. Six houses, described as “million-dollar homes,” would have been constructed along and around a cul-de-sac at the end of an alley intersecting South College.
Wade Kennedy, a nearby homeowner, expressed his worries over the dangers of the alley entrance for the proposed neighborhood. The slope of the alley would be too steep for cars to enter and exit safely, Kennedy said.
While the Planning Department determined the entrance passed the sight-line requirements at the 85th percentile speed of 48 mph, Kennedy said at 49 mph it would fail. The posted speed limit is 45 mph
“If you look at this,” Kennedy said. “It really is not cut and dry. It is not black and white.”
Paul Schrantz, another South College homeowner, described the proposed subdivision as a "nightmare" for maintaining water quality and controlling storm flow. He said that the location and slope of the alley entrance would cause rainwater to reach a high velocity and pool around the adjoining eastern property.
Schrantz also expressed skepticism that developers could fit necessary equipment into the area to construct the homes without clearing the trees along South College.
“The city of Auburn does not have a tree preservation ordinance on private residential properties,” Schrantz told the Planning Commission. “So the developer can tell us that he would like to preserve all the trees possible on the lot. But if he doesn’t do it, there’s no recourse for y’all, or for us, or for City Council, or for anybody.”
Nearby homeowner Kerry Bradley said the vision for the original 1937 Foster subdivision on South College included single family homes facing South College on one to two acre properties.
In 2011, Auburn passed the 2030 Comprehensive Plan that designated the South College residential area to be preserved with the stipulation that “existing density and housing types should be retained.”
Bradley said the problems current homeowners have is not with development itself, but with the specific plan which includes the construction of an alley and homes on plots that average smaller than an acre each.
“All this angst that we’re talking about is about crowding in three more homes,” Bradley said. “With all of the danger ... why in the world would the people of Auburn want to force a road in where it doesn’t belong?”
“We have a street for them—it’s called South College Street, and they should build two great homes there.”
Brett Basquin of the Foresite Group defended their development, saying engineering specifics would be worked out as planning progressed.
“We’re asking a lot of engineering related questions that we really don’t get into until we get the preliminary plat approved,” he said.
Ultimately, the Planning Commission sympathized with the homeowners’ concerns over safety and character, and the preliminary plat approval for the subdivision plan in its current state failed to pass a vote.
“I think we’ve got some real safety issues that need to be resolved before we consider this,” said Commissioner Dan Bennett.
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