More than 100 residents of Oakley Township met April 11 with representatives of developer D.R. Horton and management company Access Management to state their concerns on a number of issues at the development. At meeting’s end, many left unimpressed with what they heard.

The meeting began with development updates by Horton attorney Allison Maffaei and Access Management representative Royce Haralson. Maffaei provided information on warranty issues and service concerns relevant to the 470-home development, adding that Horton currently anticipated a total of 1,189 homes to be located at Oakley Township.

The majority of the two-hour meeting was spent with residents surfacing concerns about their community. Some of the concerns involved issues relating to individual behavior and problems caused by youth or adults in the community, issues over which the developer and management company have little influence. The majority of issues, however, dealt with problems specific to management. Maffaei and Haralson responded to those issues but clearly did not satisfy many of those in attendance. Among the issues reported by residents were underground leaks left un-repaired, landscaping costs and inadequacies, uncollected association fees, the inadequate planning for a clubhouse permitted for only 23 people to serve a community of several hundred homes and the presence of stormwater drains with no grates, a potential danger to young children.

In another matter, residents expressed concerns over the number of homes being purchased by either individuals or companies and subsequently rented. Oakley Township Association President Carolyn White said members want to rectify the situation by limiting the number of rental units allowed in the community.

Maffaei and Haralson suggested on numerous occasions that residents contact Access when problems and concerns arise. While largely agreeable with the recommendation, many in attendance stressed that they had already made those communications, sometimes repeatedly, and had seen little or no result. The responsibility for remedying the majority of concerns raised, residents maintained, rest with Horton and Access.

Outside the meeting, some homeowners said D.R. Horton’s warranty department was slow to respond to make repairs on problems that fell within the warranty periods. Some of those repairs took four to five months to complete, residents said. It was a sign of poor management, they concluded.

One resident summed up the meeting, reflecting continuing concerns with with management responsiveness in Oakley Township.

"D.R. Horton and Access Management have served their annual ‘duty’ to Oakley Township and its residents,” said Oakley Township Neighborhood Action Committee member Crystal Francois. “I just hope that they follow through with addressing residents' concerns, which need immediate attention. It is now our responsibility as homeowners to hold them accountable and demand action."

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