Presentation to the O’Fallon, Planning and Zoning Committee

Open Hearing Session – of the O’Fallon, Planning and Zoning Committee meeting of Thursday December 5, 2019

This presentation was emailed to me & is in Kim Ryba's own words.

Before I created this post I reviewed the maps of the area:

A review of any simple topographic map will demonstrate the planned development of 600 homes will be draining directly onto & through Stone Bridge Stables.

The planned road will increase the drainage of the watershed causing great harm to Stone Bridge Stables.

How does anyone who lives "Down Stream" of any development protect themselves?

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Newspaper article about meeting and lawsuit against the City of O'Fallon

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Presentation by Kim Ryba:

My name is Kim Ryba, I own Stonebridge Stables.

Stonebridge sits in a valley between 2 large cliffs, O’Day Park and the proposed development Caledonia.

O’Day creek is a storm run-off creek for the surrounding 1,790 acres.

According to the watershed map the developers of Caledonia propose to drain about 200 acres into the O’Day creek.

This creek runs through 8 acres of my farm and also sits at the bottom of the O’Day Park.

I have maintained successfully O’Day creek and that has protected the old bridge over Highway DD; keeping O’Day’s water running smoothly through it.

Also, I have maintained the spring branch, the main drainage for the Caledonia cliffs.

My farm was fine before the O’Day Park was built, taking out the trees, changing the terrain, concreting and BLACK TOPPING the majority of it; all water being drained to the O’Day.

I took a tortuous walks for 2 years during the development of that park.

Pure yellow mud and water poured down on my farm and the creeks.

The O'Day fast became a raging dangerous river of water.

I learned first-hand that when you take out the trees and brush and bulldoze the terrain; a hard rain comes and the black plastic fences and detention ponds are overpowered.

Absolutely EVERYONE ignored my pleas of help. I am asking you planning and zoning people, point blank what are you going to do to save my farm and my living from this development.

It is physically impossible for the cliffs of Caledonia water shed NOT to drain directly on to my farm and that creek.

There are 3 main streams that drain those cliffs, the biggest being the spring branch.

The City of O’Fallon with their park has over capacitated the O’Day creek & watershed.

These pictures are the back end of my farm being flooded out.

My farm has now become a retention pond for O’Day park.

I am being forced to give up 1/2 my farm to save the other half and my livelihood and keep my horses safe.

Listen to me about this old bridge over Highway DD.

It was doing fine even though it is 75 years old.

My sons and I kept the water running smooth through it.

Nothing alarmed me except the traffic on DD was becoming heavier and the volume was increasing.

Along comes O’Day Park watershed slamming that old bridge.

There is no way for this river of water to get through those 10 foot openings; this bridge has become a dam causing the water to go backwards on to my farm.

DOT has no money, Missouri ranks as one of the worst in the nation for deficient bridges.

The 2018 road tax failed.

Missouri is in a real crisis with our bridges.

SO why in heavens did DOT give almost 1 million tax dollars away to Payne development?

We demand that tax money back and repair or replace that old bridge.

O’Day creek can handle NO more water period.

My farm and livelihood are being destroyed. I even turned to Planning and Zoning several weeks ago to no avail.

My lawyers have already filed the first of many lawsuits to come.

My lawyers are set to go to stop this development from completely destroying my farm. Our request is to reduce if not stop taking down those cliffs and hills and that forest that controls that watershed off those cliffs.

In closing Planning and Zoning, if you were to pass Phase 1, the middle of my farm, my buildings, my barn would all be flooded out and my horses would be in great peril.

This one picture shows you how high above my farm are those cliffs and how low I sit in that valley.

Open Hearing Session – of the O’Fallon, Planning and Zoning Committee meeting of Thursday December 5, 2019

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Note: I was not at the meeting & the project (Caledonia development) was tabled (for a little while) Next meeting January.

Personally I do not understand what the developer & investors can do so as Not to impact Mrs Ryba.

Their land drains through Mrs Ryba's property.

Interesting debate & I will admit I do not understand property right laws.

One thing for certain: The City (Empire?) of O'Fallon has proven to be an untrustworthy caretaker of the tax payers and the environment. That alone indicates the trees will come down and the O'Day will Flood Kim Ryba's stables and eventually wash out the Hwy DD bridge.

I pray no one, school bus or horse trailer is on the bridge when it crumbles into the raging O'Day creek.

God Help us all.

More photos of the damaged O'Day

More Photos of the damage because of the O'Day Park

City of O'Fallon Tax Payer abuse

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Kim Ryba & eight others who live around O'Day Park have filed lawsuits against the City of O'Fallon.

Original Pipeline leak and how O'Fallon acquired the land for the park

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