Matteson residents seek subdivision help

• Reprints

Updated: February 27, 2012 9:47AM

Homeowners in Matteson’s Trinity Creeks subdivision are complaining about rising water levels and other issues in the unfinished development and have turned to the village for help.

The development, built by Amlin Homes, is located off U.S. 30 between Ridgeland and Central avenues.

Trinity Creeks Homeowners Association president Judson Mitchell, who along with 25 of the subdivision’s residents attended a Jan. 17 village board meeting, said “water is encroaching on our properties” and some homeowners cannot get refinanced because they have been told their property is now in a flood plain.

He also expressed concern about traffic routing in and out of the subdivision and animal issues including beaver lodges in the wetlands.

“I like my house. It’s well built. Amlin is a good builder. Most of us are quite happy with our homes. But we want these issues resolved,” he said.

Joe Miller, project manager for Trinity Creeks development, said Monday there was a maintenance problem with the retention area in the center of the subdivision last summer, but it has been resolved.

“The water level did build up over the summer,” Miller said. “There’s a controlled release retention area that releases water through a system to Butterfield Creek. It required maintenance because it was blocked with twigs. We discovered this in the fall and the water level came down. There should be no further issues at this point.”

Miller also said that none of the Trinity Creeks homes is in a flood zone.

He said some lenders “may require property owners to provide a certificate of elevation to prove they are not in a flood zone. Those
certificates can be provided by a surveyor.”

When exiting the subdivision, drivers can only head west on U.S. 30 because a median makes it impossible to exit east, Mitchell said at the meeting.

“Right now, if the permit was issued (to make road improvements), there’s no money to do anything,” Miller said Monday. The banks aren’t lending, and the subdivision is less than 50 percent built due to the housing meltdown.

Mitchell also asked about a park and a walking path that homeowners were told would be built.

Miller said the developer dedicated land to the village for park use and it’s up to the village to do those things.

Mayor Andre Ashmore said the park and walking path can’t be built until the subdivision is completed.

Village manager Brian Mitchell said village officials have scheduled a meeting with homeowners to talk about their concerns.

“The staff will look at it from every level,” he said.