Main Street Fairview
FAIRVIEW WEATHER
physicians-mutual-dental-insurance-banners

LETTER TO THE EDITOR: From Concerned Residents of Cox Run Subdivision




MSF Letter to the Editor Promo Art

MSF Letter to the Editor Promo Art

Dear Editor & Community,
 
Last Wednesday (1.6.21), an article titled, “Neighborhood at Bowie Tabled, Workshop Set,” was published in Main Street Fairview  We, the Concerned Residents of Cox Run Subdivision, were grateful to read that article and to see that our city seems committed to taking great care to ensure that this next proposed development (possibly named The Neighborhood at Bowie Park) is “right” for our beautiful city and promises not to negatively impact Bowie Park and the other properties and surrounding areas: Cox Run Subdivision, the homes on Wayne’s Lane, the homes on Cox Pike, etc.
 
In order to learn more about the process of what goes into placing a new development in Fairview, an email was sent to our Board of Commissioners (BOC) last week to ask what that step-by-step process entails and to find out what safeguards will be in place for the surrounding areas.
 
We were glad to hear about the Workshop scheduled for January 21st at 5:00 PM and plan to be in attendance.
 
We are hopeful that this process can be transparent and collaborative because it will have an enormous impact on our lives and others (residents of Fairview and Bowie Park as a whole).  Decisions being made without input from those that will be most impacted is a great concern to us.
 
In addition, in hopes to be a helpful presence in this planning process and at the meeting on January 21st, we have commissioned a registered civil engineer to review the proposed design that has been made available.  This civil engineer has several questions and concerns with the proposed plan.  We, the Concerned Residents of Cox Run Subdivision, share these concerns.
 
One concerned resident of Cox Run subdivision writes, “As a resident of Cox Run Subdivision, whose home will be greatly affected by the number of homes (4) being built behind us, we are very concerned about the drainage, the noise, and light pollution. We feel like the current plan with a 25 foot buffer zone without more drainage berms and green space is inadequate.”

 
Another resident states, “Our largest concern would be that storm water already collects and stands on our property even during moderate rainfall.  We already receive most of the neighbors’ run off from the drainage pipe that runs through our yard. This has become more dangerous in recent years with heavy storms and flash flooding. Adding more drainage from different areas would clearly be devastating to our home and the homes around us.”
 
And yet another resident explains, “Our house experienced 3 feet of flooding in 2020. We can’t imagine how much worse it would get. We simply cannot handle any more water.”
 
The concerns listed here and others voiced in our neighborhood seem to fall into the following categories (and will be expressed in more detail to the BOC/Planning Staff and City Engineer):
 
  • Drainage/run-off will negatively impact our homes and our families.  The proposed design does not adequately manage the increased volume of storm water that this new development will generate. Many of the homes in our subdivision already battle drainage, flooding and erosion issues often and have suffered great financial and emotional loss because of these issues. A new development can not add any additional drainage/run-off to any adjacent properties.


  • The current proposal for 181 new homes will significantly increase traffic. This increase will immediately impact our neighborhood, the residents of Wayne’s Lane, the residents of Cox Pike (and others) in negative and harmful ways. The following is a partial list of these ways: diminished property value, adverse health effects due to air quality due to increased automobile exhaust; sound/noise pollution leading to effects such as insomnia; pedestrian safety concerns; etc.  The proposed 181 homes x average 2 cars per home = 362 + visitors to these homes + maintenance trucks, etc. = close to or more than 400 new cars would suddenly be on Cox Pike, in our Cox Run subdivision, and on Wayne’s Lane based on the proposed design.  Approximately 400 new cars poses a serious risk for our neighborhood and other residents around this development.  And the next question is… will this increased traffic (and possibly more if the city plans on putting in other developments down Cox Pike) eventually lead to a widening of Cox Pike?  Therefore, we are wondering if the city gotten expert advice on the effects of this increased traffic?  If so, we would be so grateful to see the impact report based on that research.


  • In addition to the erosion and flooding concerns due to increased drainage, we are also very concerned about pollutants and other contaminants going into our groundwater (streams and other waterways) because of this development.


  • Privacy/safety concerns.  Another concern is the concern for privacy and safety in our neighborhood. Based on the current design, the new houses will be extremely close to the barriers and one another. Residents of this new subdivision will be able to look into the homes of our neighborhood. In addition, because the current design proposes a “back entrance” into the Bowie Nature Park, we are concerned about the lack of monitoring and, therefore, who might be entering the park at that entrance at any time of the day or night and what types of activities (illegal or otherwise) that entrance would provide for them. 

 

  • Low density to medium density amplifies all concerns, but leaving it the neighborhood at low density could help some with the traffic concern. 

 
As mentioned, we, the Concerned Residents of Cox Run Subdivision, have commissioned to help of a registered civil engineer. This civil engineer has 30 years experience in complex storm water and detention basin design and has been a designer for other subdivisions, including one 300-lot project of his own.  He has offered to advise us as we move forward and to even, if interested, provide alternate plan ideas to the city that would help alleviate some of these concerns.
 
Thank you again, Main Street, for the article published on January 6th and for all other information you have shared regarding this development.  We are looking forward to working together with the city of Fairview and all others interested in making this new development harmonious and helpful to our community.
Sincerely,
Tiffany Wilson-Mobley
writing on behalf of the Concerned Residents of Cox Run Subdivision

 

Leave a Reply