By DAVE HAMRICK
Staff Writer

County officials are hopeful that residents of Harbor Lakes subdivision will soon be able to use the neighborhood's recreation facilities, something the homeowners have been waiting three years for.

“We are trying to resolve it now,” said David Borkowski, a code enforcer with the county Engineering Department.

“This is the third summer that our children have had nowhere to swim,” said Tana Thompson, one of the angry homeowners.

Borkowski said the hold-up is due to the fact that developer Dan Stinchcomb didn't build the swimming/tennis amenities for the subdivision according to the plans that were approved by the county three years ago.

“When we went out to do the final inspection, it wasn't what was approved,” said Borkowski. “The plans had shown a large clubhouse, but what was built was a 900-sq. ft. unheated pool house, and they built only one of two tennis courts.”

Some of the parking was in the county right of way, he added. And the facilities are encroaching on a watershed, he said.

“We've been waiting six to nine months for a revised site plan to come in,” he said. Stinchcomb also has filed a request for a variance to allow the watershed encroachment.

Homeowner Thompson said the homeowners' association is trying to pressure the builder and the county to move the process along.

If the variance and new site plan are approved, his department will conduct a new final inspection, said Borkowski. “Hopefully it will pass and everybody'll be happy,” he said.