“Runaround” in Autumn Ridge

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Homeowners are upset by the unfi nished work in the townhouse development behind Oak Ridge Military Academy

by CHRIS BURRITT

OAK RIDGE – Frustrated by a lack of grass, unfinished storm water drains and foul septic odors, homeowners in the Autumn Ridge townhouse development met last week to vent their frustrations.

Homeowners invited LeoTerra Development, Blue Ridge Cos. and Slatter Management, which manages the property, to the Dec. 7 meeting, but the companies did not send representatives. That left Chris Inabinet, vice president and Triad market manager for Shugart Homes, the homebuilder in Autumn Ridge, at the receiving end of complaints.

“We have so many questions; who is responsible for what?” asked Karen Wilson, one of about 20 homeowners who attended the meeting in Oak Ridge Town Hall. “I’ve gotten the runaround for two years.”

Inabinet told homeowners some of what they wanted to hear. Crews recently installed and replaced caps on septic risers behind the townhouses. He said he plans to dispatch workers to pick up building materials left behind during construction. However, he said, Shugart can’t remove erosion control screening and doesn’t take responsibility for growing grass in yards.

“There is a homeowner’s responsibility to maintain certain things,” Inabinet said. “One of those is their grass and landscaping.”

Grass is growing in front yards where crews put down sod, but homeowners said the lack of sod and topsoil in side and back yards left more rocks than dirt. As a result, the landscaping crew was “hired to mow over rocks,” including some that have broken homeowners’ windows, Wilson said.

As part of its contract with Shugart, Blue Ridge Cos., which oversaw clearing, grading and street construction according to CEO David Couch, has arranged for a contractor to repair concrete and finish paving the entrance to Autumn Ridge.

“I understand they’ve had problems with HOA management issues,” Couch wrote. “This is not a case where the land developer caused any of their issues.”

“In looking at the complaints, they are homebuilder and HOA management issues,” LeoTerra President Buddy Lyons wrote in an email earlier this week. He said his previous company, LD Equity, acquired the property and negotiated rezoning and site plan approval from Oak Ridge officials before selling the homesites to Shugart Homes.

Homeowners learned last week from Greensboro-based Slatter Management that it’s ending its management contract at Autumn Ridge in early January. In an interview earlier this week, Slatter Vice President Kay Thornton said the departure of the employee responsible for Autumn Ridge prompted the decision.

Slatter is fulfilling some of homeowners’ requests, such as removing a dead tree on the access road to a septic field and pump house. It is also making arrangements for the mowing of one

Photo by Chris Burritt/NWO Autumn Ridge homeowners said storm water drains are among unfi nished work in their townhouse development on Zack Road in Oak Ridge.

... continued on p. 10

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