Phase Two of Whispering Oaks gets OK in Jeffersonville

By DAVID A. MANN
David.Mann@newsandtribune.com

October 01, 2008 11:37 am

— The Jeffersonville Planning Commission approved new home plans in the second phase of the Whispering Oaks subdivision, as residents from the first phase complained that work hadn’t been finished in their neighborhood.
Commission member Keith Fetz told fellow members that the two projects were unrelated, being as they were on opposite sides of the road from each other. Residents there disagreed.
21st Century Development asked the commission for final plat approval for 23 lots in section four of Whispering Oaks
phase two during the Tuesday night meeting. The company developed the first phase of the project during the late 1990s.
Jim Rogers, president of the Whispering Oaks phase one homeowners association, asked the commission to table the motion until 21st Century agreed to put a second coat of asphalt on its streets.
The first coat of asphalt is down, but residents are still waiting on the final coat, which provides a smooth ride and less bumps.
The subdivision is off of Salem-Noble Road, an area which recently was annexed into the city of Jeffersonville.
Rogers called the condition of the road deplorable and warned that the city could end up with a similar situation in the section that was being considered.
Greg Furnish, president of 21st Century, expressed dismay that the residents in the first phase were even being allowed to speak about those concerns, considering it was a different subdivision.
“This is not the time or place to bring that up,” he said.
He has acknowledged that the paving work needs to be done, but said his company has done nothing wrong.
“We’re not in violation at that site,” he said.
Jim Urban, city planning director, has agreed, saying the city would give him until the end of the next paving season before using a performance bond posted on the project to complete the work itself.
The commission approved the new plats with a unanimous vote before the residents walked out of the meeting.
“Why would you allow somebody to build another subdivision when they haven’t finished the one they’ve started,” phase one resident Steve Mason said following the vote. “The taxpayers are going to get stuck with it, when it defaults.”