(ABC 6 News) – In Mazeppa Township, concerns are growing over a proposed housing development with some in the area considering leaving entirely as a result.

Jon Erickson and his family have lived in their house on a hill along Wabasha County Road 21 for four years.

It’s their property, among others, that borders the site of the proposed development – which Erickson has some fundamental issues with.

“Unfortunately, I feel like the preliminary plat does not meet the ordinances that we were required to adhere to when we built just four years ago,” he said.

Chief among the concerns is a noticeable lack of plans to manage storm water run off in the area – usually a requirement for these types of plans to be reviewed.

Drainage in this part of the county is a major concern due to the Karst geology of the area.

“If there’s excess water the topsoil can’t absorb, it just runs like Swiss cheese through this,” said Joe Rodriguez, another neighbor to the site.

Rodriguez’s property is at the bottom of the hill the proposed housing would be on. His house, as well as both his neighbors houses, gets its water from an underground source fed by a spring immediately bordering the development site.

From his time living in the area, he knows how the water feeds down to his home, and what can come with it.

“Any pollutants that come off that field end up going into our drinking water,” he said.

ABC 6 attempted to reach out to the Wabasha County Zoning and Planning Commission for clarification on the plan and this apparent omission, but they declined to interview.

This wasn’t the only concern either.

From questions about the amount of space dedicated to each suggest housing parcel to whether a proposed road along a bluff could even be built according to county requirements, Erickson, Rodriguez, and dozens of their neighbors took to the Planning Commission’s Monday night meeting to voice their concerns.

Yet, despite these upset neighbors, the board voted to recommend approval anyway.

“I came away from that meeting extremely disappointed,” said Erickson.

He wasn’t the only one.

One couple, who declined to speak on camera, said they weren’t even willing to deal with the aftermath and are looking to sell their property.

“I don’t think anyone I spoke with felt like (the planning commission) gave good answers or even recognized them and their concerns,” said Erickson.

The plan will now go to the county commissioners for final approval.

They meet Tuesday, April 1 at 9:00 A.M.

Cornerstone Real Estate issued the following statement:

At Cornerstone Real Estate, we’re really proud of the work that’s gone into planning Cornerstone Ridge. This isn’t something we rushed—we’ve been working closely with Wabasha County for many months to make sure everything is done right, and we’re grateful to the zoning board for their thoughtful questions and their decision to move our request further.

As a southeastern Minnesota company, we truly want this project to be a good fit for Mazeppa Township. We want to create a low-density, environmentally responsible neighborhood. We think it can be a great addition to the area—one that respects the land, adds to the town’s resources and economy and benefits the whole community.”