Residents of the Highlands Development neighborhood packed a Langley City Council meeting Monday night to air grievances about drainage problems on some of the property.

The drainage from as many as 35 of the 54 plots has not yet been addressed, resident Donald Bundy told the council.

He explained that the current retention pond located north of the Highlands will no longer be sufficient to prevent stormwater drainage into Langley’s drinking water supply.

Bundy also explained that Highlands Tract B, currently slated to be dedicated as a small city park, needed to reassessed.

Bundy suggested the park idea be abandoned and retention ponds be expanded.

“If the retention pond area is substantially increased, it will prevent any likely contamination of Langley’s drinking water sources of stormwater runoff from all of the Highlands,” he said.

Bundy will be on the board of the soon-to-be Homeowners Association of Highlands at Langley.

The neighborhood is located behind the Island County Fairgrounds; 52 homes are completed and three remaining lots have been sold.

“We were told the developers were told of what the area requires but they haven’t said ‘yes’ or ‘no,’” Bundy said.

City council members said the drainage problems had been discussed at a March 19 city council meeting.

The council agreed to consider the Highland residents’ request to solve the drainage issue and reduce the burden it creates on the residents.

The Homeowners Association requested change to the 2007 plat to remove any neighborhood liability. About two-thirds of the crowd of people packed into the city’s small meeting room cheered as the council approved the motion 5-0. They then all filed out of the room.

“For the most part the city agreed to our proposal,” Bundy said in an interview. “The city attorney and public works director need to review it first.”