MOUNT VERNON — By a 17 to 2 vote, Regional Planning Commission members approved a 16-lot subdivision at 3005 Wilson Road in Centerburg pending resolution of a roadway issue.
The vote came at RPC’s July 20 meeting.
Jeff and Christine Hackett, owners of Table Rock Golf Course, propose to locate the development on a 40-acre portion (Pin 1700477000) of the 116-acre parcel.
Plans call for parcels ranging in size from 2 acres to 3.3 acres with private well and septic. According to the RPC Land Use Committee’s report, third-party designers would design the onsite sewage treatment systems; Knox Public Health would approve them.
The report notes that stormwater management is required for the development. Additionally, the committee recommends that drainage maintenance agreements be pursued with neighboring landowners to make sure that all drainage components will be maintained and function properly long term.
The report states “the soils on and around the proposed development are highly dependent on properly functioning subsurface drainage systems and have the potential to be very detrimental to the development if left unchecked.”
A private road running south from Wilson Road would provide access to the parcels. The Hacketts must build the road to county standards even though it will be a private road.
The proposed road is 1,800 feet long and ends in a cul-de-sac. RPC subdivision regulations specify a maximum length between intersections of 600 feet.
The Land Use Committee recommended that the Hacketts ask the commission for a variance from the 600-foot maximum specification.
Jeff Hackett said RPC suggested he research the number of projects throughout the county that exceed the 600-foot specification. He found 15.
“I don’t know the dates when all of those occurred,” he said, noting that different regulations might have been in effect. “I do know there are a number of projects in the county like what I am asking for, so it would not be setting a precedent.”
One RPC member questioned the rationale behind the 600-foot intersection requirement, which was included in the 2006 subdivision revisions. Although no one knew for certain the reasoning, it was suggested that with a long roadway, motorists might end up turning around in homeowners’ driveways or it might impede fire/EMS with only one ingress/egress.
RPC’s approval of the sketch plan is based on the resolution of the roadway length issue.
Jason Rogers, Hilliar Township trustee, and Centerburg Mayor Greg Sands cast the no votes on the sketch plan.
“The current configuration [of the road] isn’t even close to matching the current regulations,” Rogers told Knox Pages on Saturday. “Regional planning has a track record of trying to pass things on conditions rather than getting things right the first time.”
Noting the 1,800-foot road length is three times the requirement, Rogers said RPC should send the plan back to the Hacketts, have them try to get closer to regulations, and then review it again.
Referencing a comment made that, at one point, regulations were passed trying to limit housing, but now the county needs more houses, Rogers said, “Does that mean we bypass regulations? Then why do we need regulations?”
“I’m not against Mr. Hackett. It’s his property, his right to do what he wants,” Rogers said. “But we have regulations. If he was close to the 600 feet, a variance would be fine. But he’s not.”
Mayor Sands noted that township and village officials were unaware of the Hacketts’ proposal until a few days before the RPC meeting.
“The Regional Planning Commission has again ignored the outlying area and ignored anything crucial to development,” he said on Friday. “Village and township officials voted no. I think that should send a message to regional planning that before they decide to have the Land Use Committee recommend something, they should ask questions first.
“The challenge to me as a community person is how we can have approximately 28 homes adjacent to public water and sewer that is allowed to be built with private water and septic tanks,” he continued. “It is quite evident that no one asked the right questions before taking it to a vote [Thursday] night.”
The proposed 16-lot subdivision is the second involving Table Rock Golf Course.
Local officials signed off on Table Rock Estates — 11 lots, two acres each, with a private well and septic — in August 2022. The original plans called for a 59-lot subdivision, but the Hacketts said at the time they scaled it back, wanting to retain the 18-hole golf course and rural aspect.
According to the Knox County auditor’s website, eight of the 11 lots are sold.
