Group calls for halt to interchange

10/30/2008 5:05:00 AM
Madison County Journal

Group calls for halt to interchange

By STEVEN G. WATSON
Associate Editor

A federation of homeowners associations is calling for the Board of Supervisors to halt all future expenditures on the proposed Reunion interchange, asking supervisors to instead put those funds towards other road projects.

The Federation of Madison County Homeowners Associations, or FMCHA, met Tuesday evening and adopted a resolution hoping to convince the Board of Supervisors to reconsider using county funds to finance the project and instead wait for state and federal aid.

Members of the group, which represents nearly two dozen homeowners associations countywide, say they are concerned with the ever-growing price tag of the interchange.

The resolution came in two parts, one stating that "due to the changing economic climate, the Reunion Parkway Project should be shelved until such time as funding can be provided by state, federal and private sources rather than the current majority funding being provided by Madison County."

The second stipulated that any remaining monies set aside for Reunion should be "revised to allow completion of as many road projects as possible."

Dinsmor representative Mike Smith drew up the language for the resolution and said they simply want the county to re-think using the taxpayer money in such a way.

"We're not necessarily against Reunion," Smith said. "What I'm against is the way it was initially presented to the public."


Smith went on to complain that the county initially said the interchange would be done without any tax increase, but were forced to raise taxes for the first time in over 20 years last month to help cover costs.

"Funding is primarily coming from the county and you don't see the state and federal funding you normally see for these types of projects," Smith said. "If we continue down this path this will be a tremendous hardship on other projects."

Woody Middleton, a representative of Cherry Hill Plantation, agreed with many of Smith's points, but did express his fear that halting the interchange's progress could hurt proposed developments in the area.

He was particularly concerned with a proposed St. Dominic hospital, which has yet to receive state approval. Middleton said he didn't know the logistics of the hospital, but feared not building the interchange may hurt its chances for approval.

"I think the whole thing is questionable, but I think you have to look at the good a hospital could do for the people in our area," Middleton said. "That's just another issue we need to consider."

Members elected to amend the original resolution to emphasize that they are not against economic development, but still voted to ratify it and plan to present it at the next board of supervisors meeting.

The group had a second resolution it considered, detailing several other edicts, but after several questions were raised decided to instead table it until a later meeting.

The second resolution considered, among other things, a call for all future bond issues to be put to a public vote, the development of a long-range plan for the county and a prioritized road maintenance program.

In other FMCHA business:

• The group has set a town hall meeting on Dec. 2 to discuss transportation issues in the county as well as ways to increase government efficiency and transparency.

Rep. Rita Martinson was on hand and said she and others have been greatly concerned by the actions of the current group of supervisors.

"We're concerned about the openness in county government," Martinson said. "We saw an example of this when it was sprung on us and we had to react the way we did.

"We're not trying to be supervisors," she continued. "We just want more openness and we hope the homeowners associations can help us."

• Northbay resident Wes Holsaple reported that the lawsuit filed by one of their homeowners over the issue of renting has been dropped. He said the Northbay Homeowners Association, along with the city of Madison, plans to hold firm on their resolution of no renting of homes within the neighborhood.

"This is a really important issue at Northbay as I'm sure it is with many of you," Holsaple told the group. "We are all concerned about the value of our homes as I'm sure you all are as well."

Read more...

Public meeting set for Dec. 2

October 30, 2008

Public meeting set for Dec. 2

By Lucy Weber
lweber@mcherald.com

A town hall meeting to address Madison County's transportation needs and efficiency in government is planned for Dec. 2.

The aim of the meeting is to explain what's going on in the county and to get citizens enthusiastic about having a voice in government, said state Rep. Rita Martinson, one of the planners.

"We're concerned about openness in government. We don't want people to be caught unaware," she said.

In the discussion stage for several months, the town hall forum is being promoted by individuals like Martinson, former Supervisor Doug Jones, current Supervisor D.I. Smith and Central District Transportation Commissioner Dick Hall. The Federation of Madison County Homeowners Associations on Tuesday gave its support to helping sponsor the meeting, the details of which are still in the planning stage.

Martinson said other individuals and groups, as yet unidentified, are also working on the forum that they would like to see attract at least 200-300 residents.

"We're not trying to be the supervisors. We need to have more input into government," she said.

The move in September by the Board of Supervisors to increase the tax millage rate by more than what was advertised sparked a public outcry that resulted in more than 7,000 faxes and emails being sent to the board in opposition of the tax increase. About 100 people crowded a board meeting to protest the 3-mill increase that the supervisors ended up voting down.

"With the recent events with county government, people came up with the idea for this forum," said Al Sage, president of the federation. "People are complaining (about government) but they don't make the time to find out. This meeting will give people the opportunity to learn in a different forum."

A neutral party, not an elected official, will serve as moderator to present the issues, Sage said. The forum is not intended as a political event, pitting one side against the other, he said. "This is not a meeting to address specifics -- we'd be there all day - but to lay the facts out."

One of the key issues to be addressed, Martinson said, is the $32 million the county has remaining from a $50 million bond issue that is now dedicated to the widening of Gluckstadt Road, the Reunion interchange and parkway and Calhoun Station Parkway.

"What concerns me that these three projects can be completed without another bond issue," she said.

The town hall meeting is intended to look at those projects and other road projects, including maintenance on existing roads, and "energize the people" on what issues they would like the Board of Supervisors to address, Martinson said. Citizens want the supervisors to "show the value" of projects and to address concerns in an open manner so everyone knows what's going on, she said.

In its quarterly meeting Tuesday, the federation, which represents 22 homeowners associations and about 15,000-20,000 residents, approved a resolution calling on supervisors to shelve plans for the Reunion Parkway project until funding is secured from other sources so the county is not responsible for the majority of the cost. The resolution, presented by board member Mike Smith of Dinsmor, generated a lengthy discussion from the 30-plus members in attendance.

"A lot of the comments (by the federation members) will be addressed in the town hall meeting. This resolution helps jumpstart that town hall meeting," said Jones. "That meeting will be addressing exactly what we're talking about tonight."

The Reunion Parkway has been a hotly debated project by residents for the past several years. The supervisors have approved using primarily county funds to build the interchange linking an extension of Reunion on the west side of I-55 with U.S. 51 on the east side. The county has $6 million in state funds but no federal moneys so far, and an unannounced commitment from private landowners to help with the project.

Mike Smith said supervisors promised that the Reunion interchange would not require a tax increase but negated that when they asked for the additional 3-mill increase over the advertised 3.3-mill increase in September.

"The county is moving forward (on Reunion) without state and federal funding being there," Smith said. "That will be a hardship on getting other projects funded. If they continue down this path, it will be a tremendous drain on county resources.

"We want to make sure that is clear funding, rather than it coming out of our own pockets," he said.

The federation voted to table another resolution presented by Mike Smith that covered a variety of initiatives intended to "ensure that the principles of good government and fiscal responsibility are observed."

The resolution called for county supervisors to hold a public vote on any future county bond issues, to hire a full-time engineer on the county staff and included detailed specifics of that job, to obtain a consultant to prioritize road maintenance, to hire of a firm to develop a long range plan and included detailed specifics connected with that, and to implement a formal budgeting planning from all county departments.

In regard to some of the sections of that resolution, board member Ray Butler said: "There's so much detail in there. It's telling the Board of Supervisors how to do their job."

Sage said the issues presented in the tabled resolution would be likely topics at the town hall meeting.

The federation members agreed to discuss the specifics of that resolution later. "There's good stuff to discuss in this," Sage said.
Read more...

Federation seeks to keep Lake Caroline master plan as is

October 30, 2008

Federation seeks to keep Lake Caroline master plan as is

By Lucy Weber
lweber@mcherald.com

The Federation of Madison County Homeowners Association is supporting keeping the master plan for Lake Caroline as it now stands.

Requested by the Lake Caroline Owners Association, the resolution approved by the federation this week calls for the Board of Supervisors to uphold the 1998 master plan "as the only legal" plan for the development of the neighborhood.

The supervisors have scheduled a Dec. 1 public hearing to determine a master plan for Lake Caroline. A majority of the supervisors have said that no plan legally exists since an earlier board never ratified the first 1989 plan and the 1998 plan was based on that.

Lake Caroline residents oppose a new master plan because of their concern about how the supervisors will designate the 151-acres in the former golf course. Residents oppose property owner Craig Foshee's plan to build houses on what was the 18-hole course that he closed last year.

The resolution also asks the federation encourage its other 21 member associations to contact their supervisors in support of Lake Caroline. Read more...

Homeowners' federation elects officers

October 30, 2008

Homeowners' federation elects officers

By Lucy Weber
lweber@mcherald.com

The Federation of Madison County Homeowners Associations has elected its board of directors for the coming year.

New board members are Wes Holsapple of Northbay subdivision, and Doug Jones
of Lake Caroline.

Continuing on the board are Mike Smith of Dinsmor, Woody Middleton of Cherry Hill Plantation, Guy Bowering of Whisper Lake, Ray Butler of Twin Cedars, Jane McGill of Countryside Plantation, John Moore of Annandale Estates and Al Sage of Ingleside.

Read more...

Homeowners Federation has growth plans

April 23, 2008
Homeowners Federation has growth plans

By Lucy Weber
lweber@mcherald.com

The Madison County Federation of Homeowners Associations wants to keep growing.

Having begun last summer with 15 members, the federation reports it now has 24 subdivision groups as members.

“We’ve been going all over the county to locate officials with subdivisions,” board member Woody Middleton told about 225 representatives at the quarterly meeting Tuesday. “We’re making progress with this.”

Middleton asked those attending if they know residents other neighborhoods to to contact elected officers of non-member associations about joining. “Our strength will be in the numbers we have,” federation board president Al Sage said.

The purpose of the federation is to identify and address quality of life issues and concerns that arise out of Madison County’s growth. Some of the concerns raised at the meeting dealt with neighborhood covenants and the effect of Reunion Parkway on property taxes.

Doug Jones, a former Madison County supervisor and a federation representative from Northbay, said the federation needs to work on establishing standard guidelines for neighborhoods.

“If we could come up with standards of how neighbors relate to neighbors and financial after developers turn over (homeowners associations), we could do a favor for future residents,” he said.

“To me, it would be helpful to have a standard on how to enforce regulations,” Twin Cedars representative Kirk Hughes said.

Sage said the federation is likely focus more establishing standards of covenant enforcement for all neighborhood associations.

Federation members said they also want specific answers from county officials on how the Reunion interchange being built by the county will be paid for.

“A lot of people are confused and upset and don’t know what they’re paying for,” Sage said. “The burning issue to me is how is it being paid for.”

Supervisors have said the project, which should get under way later this year, is being paid for with a mix of county bond money, state funds and private donations, but they haven’t pinpointed the private sources.

Middleton said he’s concerned that residents will be taxed because the amounts mentioned for the interchange don’t add up to the total cost of the project.

The next meeting of the federation is July 22. Information on the Federation of Madison County Homeowners Associations is available on the Web site, www.fmcha.org. Read more...

Motion seeks Caroline support

January 29, 2008

Motion seeks Caroline support

By Lucy Weber
lweber@mcherald.com

If it happens to them, it can happen to us. That worry is behind the Federation of Madison County Homeowners Association's resolution asking the Board of Supervisors to leave the master plan for Lake Caroline alone.

The supervisors earlier this month called for a public hearing to create an official plan detailing what should be done with the undeveloped tracts of land in the 3,088 acre development. The three supervisors voting in favor of the hearing said no record exists of a master plan's being adopted by the county in 1989 when Lake Caroline was created. A 1998 plan, which was approved, isn't viable.

"If this can be brought up on a technicality, any of our subdivisions could be challenged," said Doug Jones, who represents Northbay, one of 22 homeowners associations in the countywide alliance.

The federation at its quarterly meeting last week approved the resolution presented by Lake Caroline homeowners. In a letter sent to the supervisors, the federation asks that the board uphold the plans for Lake Caroline as a planned unit development, or PUD, as it now stands.

"We're not asking them to cancel the public hearing but when it gets to a vote, we're asking them to vote to uphold the current PUD," Lake Caroline resident Ray Lyle told federation members. "If they throw it back for review, we don't know where it will end up."

What will happen to the subdivision's undeveloped land - specifically the 153 acres that used to be an 18-hole golf course - has been a concern for Lake Caroline residents for the past four years, since course owner Craig Foshee said he wanted to build more than 300 houses on his land. The homeowners association and Lake Caroline Inc. don't want another subdivision with a separate set of covenants in their midst.

In April the supervisors on a 2-2 vote denied Foshee's plans to build houses on the now overgrown course he closed earlier in 2007. Foshee's contract to operate a golf course expired at the end of 2006. Foshee is now appealing the Board of Supervisors' ruling to Circuit Court.

The federation "should feel this is dangerous precedent Madison County Board of Supervisors is setting and voice its concerns," Lake Caroline association president Chris Shaw said in a letter to the federation. "If the board (of supervisors) has decided it has the authority to interfere with pending litigation and alter a master plan adopted and in place since 1998, we feel the board would have little worry in doing to this to another neighborhood."

District 1 Supervisor John Bell Crosby, attending the federation meeting, defended his vote to call for the public hearing.

"It is my understanding that the master plan of 1989 does not exist. Based on that, there is no master plan in the legal sense," Crosby said.

The 1998 plan technically does not exist because it was an amended version of the earlier plan, he said.

"How can you change something that is not there?"

At the hearing the three owners of Lake Caroline's undeveloped tracts will be asked to present plans for their properties and "essentially start from square one," Crosby said.

In his letter, Shaw said if Foshee is able to develop his land, there will be another subdivision embedded within Lake Caroline.

"This separate community would in no way be obligated to abide by the Lake Caroline covenants, and such a situation could no doubt lead to chaos in enforcing the covenants that every neighborhood desperately needs to sustain its property values, especially in today's real estate market," Shaw said. Read more...