NEW FREEDOM, Pa. - A homeowners association is pushing its developer to finish improvements to the neighborhood that it says have been left unfinished for years.
The Koller Pointe Homeowners Association says it is trying to get Keystone Custom Homes to fix numerous issues around the property. The developer still maintains control over the development since it has not begun the dedication process to transfer control to the borough of New Freedom.
" We care about the community," said Bobby Jackson, the Koller Pointe HOA president. "We want our streets done, we want our sidewalks done, we want our curbsides done, we want the streetlights, want everything that they promised us."
Only one lot on the 140-home development remains unimproved and available for sale, and the sentiment among neighbors is that property may be holding up the completion of the improvements. The curbs are not squared off, meaning residents have to put down asphalt or wooden planks to go up and down their driveways to avoid bottoming out.
"We have no streetlights, no speed limit because the roads aren't dedicated, which means the borough can't come over and enforce the traffic laws," said Juan Oliver, a retired police officer and community member. "It's kind of a nightmare, because the kids actually catch the bus up at Logan and in the morning, [and] you can see people come through this block at 40, 50 miles an hour."
Some residents are also concerned about stormwater management in backyards and residential streets.
" We'll start to get a little trickle of water coming down and it'll turn into a larger type of stream," said Joanna Noppenberger, who lives in the development. "If we do have a really big torrential downpour, the stream just kind of then turns into local flooding."
Construction began on the development more than ten years ago, neighbors said, and while they have seen other developments nearby completed in two or three years, they say they are wondering if completion will come soon for them. No one was available for comment from Keystone on Monday.
Residents say they have heard Keystone plans to begin the process to transfer control of the development to the borough by spring 2018, but assert they have heard those claims before and are still waiting.
"They need to finish ours," said Patricia Wurzbacher, who moved in nine years ago. "They need to get done here."