Letter to the Editor: La Center's neighbors concerned about hilltop development

Editor,

The City of La Center is set to move forward with the Vineyard Vista subdivision. They plan to build 85 new homes on a 30-acre hilltop property. Homeowners have voiced concerns about (1) increased traffic and (2) potentially significant environmental impacts due to the removal of 1,000+ trees with diameters greater than 10 inches, including two white oaks.

The neighborhoods below the proposed development already experience issues with underground springs and stormwater runoff from the hill above that have resulted in individual homeowners spending 10s of thousands of dollars to remediate drainage problems. There was significant turnout at a recent planning commission to hear testimony. During this meeting it was mentioned by a homeowner that they understood La Center was being given a $1 million permit fee by the developer. Ample testimony from homeowners vehemently opposing this development for a number of reasons are part of the public record.

Homeowners have also demanded an independent environmental study to look at the effects of silt erosion into Brezee Creek and ultimately La Bottoms. The hearings examiner is expected to approve the project to move forward on July 23 despite an incomplete geotechnical report to look at the effects of erosion. The project also calls for a cut-through street onto East Gaither Avenue that will result in an additional 300 cars a day on a quiet residential street. This cut-through road will also greatly exacerbate storm run-off as it will begin at the lowest point of the new development and will become an asphalt aqueduct for storm runoff. This project feels like it’s being fast-tracked; active filing of documents with the city started in February. Many residents feel La Center is growing too quickly with several new construction sites with over 400 new homes either built or planned to be built. This growth is taxing existing infrastructure, and there does not seem to be any plan to address these limitations. Homeowners fear tax increases are imminent to pay for this seemingly uncontrolled growth.

We would like The Reflector to investigate this matter and talk to local citizens to get their views on what’s happening in La Center.

Celeste Monroe

La Center