Independence Council approves Concordia Village preliminary plan despite residents������������objections

The Independence City Council on Feb. 11 approved the preliminary plan for Concordia Village, a proposed subdivision on roughly 18 acres of city-owned land off Stone Road, by a 5-2 roll-call vote.

The plan, presented by developer Greg Modic of P Trust Development Group and advanced by Petros Homes, proposes up to 62 single-family lots (57 lots if existing gas wells require lot removals) and a homeowners association that would assume long-term maintenance responsibilities for common areas and stormwater facilities.

Council members and staff focused discussion on stormwater management, the removal of mature trees, the location of a regional retention basin that would sit on private property to the south, and long-term liability if a homeowners association failed. Greg Modic said the developer had increased detention capacity after public feedback, nearly tripling the size of a planned off-site basin and redirecting roughly 10.5 acres of upstream runoff to that basin. "Wehave nearly tripled the size of a stormwater basin" and will "divert" off-site flow to it, Modic said, adding that detailed engineering will follow.

Nut graf: Council approved the preliminary plan despite objections from nearby residents and several council members who warned the proposal could increase runoff onto adjacent properties and destroy significant areas of mature forest. The approval advances the application to final engineering and future public hearings on detailed plans; it does not authorize construction.

What the developer told council
Greg Modic said the developer has worked with the city and neighbors to change the design since submitting the initial plan. Modic described engineering measures intended to limit downstream impacts: an enlarged detention basin on neighboring property secured through an easement, oversized conveyance piping to route off-site runoff to the basin, level spreaders to avoid concentrated discharges down slopes, and a plan to perform required water-quality treatment. He said the development will include a homeowners association (HOA) formed before lot sales, and that the HOA would assume maintenance and long-term funding responsibilities for the retention basin, including annual engineering inspections and reserve funding.

Council and staff concerns
Council members and staff repeatedly pressed for detail and cautioned that placing a major detention basin off-site can create long-term city liabilities if a private HOA or the neighboring property owner fails to maintain it. The citylaw director, Greg O'Brien, said the city can record maintenance and easement documents and that the municipality can step in to perform repairs and assess benefitted property owners if an HOA fails, though historically the city has sometimes absorbed such costs.

Council debate also touched on public access and the Hemlock Trail: several council members pushed for the 10-foot multiuse trail shown in area plans to remain continuous through the subdivision; the developer said trail alignment and screening will be refined during final engineering. Traffic and parking around Historic Hall were raised as implementation questions to be resolved in the final plan.

Residents' public comments
More than a dozen nearby residents spoke in public comment opposing the proposal. Pamela Dengler read from a tree inventory prepared for the project, saying the plan would remove 778 trees with trunks at least 12 inches in diameter, and that dozens of those trees are centuries old: "422 of those trees are more than a 10 years old. 80 of those trees are over 50 years old. 16 of those trees are over 210 years old, or put it this way, older than the establishment of independence as an entity," she told council. Other residents asked the council to pause the approval process, seek alternatives (including sites outside the forested parcel), and require greater proof that runoff will not harm downstream properties.

Scope and developer commitments
Modic and Petros Homes said the houses are intended for owner-occupants and will generally range from roughly 1,500 to 2,300 square feet, with low-maintenance yards and architectural controls. They said they will propose HOA covenants restricting short-term rentals and providing for maintenance reserves and annual inspection reports to the city. Modic said the plan will proceed to final engineering with a more detailed set of drawings, stormwater calculations and construction specifications that will be publicly reviewed.

Actions and next steps
Council passed ordinance 20 25-22, approving the preliminary plan for Concordia Village, by roll call: Councilmembers Narduzzi, Wolchanowicz, Trachis, Day and DeGeronimo voted Yes; Councilmembers Viverka and Tagliati voted No. The vote advances the development to final engineering, additional public hearings, and later decisions on subdivision final approval and permits. A separate motion by a council member to submit the question to a public referendum failed during an earlier vote in the meeting.

Why this matters
The site is city-owned property and has been the subject of multi-year discussions. Council supporters said the project will create housing options that may keep long-term residents in Independence; opponents said the environmental and downstream risks to neighbors and the loss of mature trees outweigh those benefits.

Ending note
If council approves final engineering and required permits in the months ahead, residents can expect subsequent public hearings and staff reports with detailed stormwater calculations, final trail alignment and recorded HOA maintenance agreements before construction can begin.