DAPHNE, Ala. — Planning commissioners focused on future maintenance issues during Thursday’s Daphne Planning Commission meeting. They said that commercial developments should have a more specific time for retention pond maintenance to change hands.

St. Charles Village Phase II — nearly eight acres at Baldwin County 64 and Pollard Road — had its site plan adopted with an amendment on Thursday.

The current retention pond agreement includes all public areas to change from the developer’s responsibility to the property owners association’s responsibility as a percentage of lots are sold.

Commissioner Larry Chason said he fears future disputes between the developer and the association when funds are needed to maintain public areas.

“We’re looking to get to a one-person stop,” he said.

City Attorney Jay Ross suggested a document stating that the maintenance responsibility will change hands when 50.1 percent of the lots are sold.

The commission amended the site plan to include the stipulation.

In other business, the commission adopted the site plan for TSS properties — two acres at Whispering Pines Road and Pollard Road.

Owner Lane Van Ingen said he plans to phase forward with this project as the economy allows. At this point, he would add a fence and gravel driveway with a storage building in future plans.

Chairman Jeff Carrico reminded Van Ingen to address the commission at each phase of changes.

“All improvements need to be brought into compliance,” he said.

Also Thursday, commissioners took no action on two final plat reviews because six members reportedly must be present to vote on subdivisions; only five were present, according to Planning Coordinator Jan Dickson.

Also, the commission answered concerns for Ray Moore of Hutchinson, Moore and Rauch, regarding Yancey Branch Woods Unit II — nearly five acres, 13 lots at north Whispering Pines Road east of U.S. Highway 98 — so that the engineers could prepare for the vote at the July meeting.

Chason noted that the parcel has a unique topography that may cause building issues because it is a “small, steep lot.”

Owner Bruce White said he plans to build basement houses because they are popular in hilly, north Alabama, where he is from.

Chason noted the differences of land.

“They’ve got rocks; we’ve got sand,” he said.

Commissioners agreed that basement homes would suit the lot but worried that southern property buyers may not understand the extra costs and necessary building materials to prevent leaks.

White agreed.

“If you build a basement, you’ve got to do it right; you’ve got to waterproof it,” he said.

Moore suggested they bring a basement plan to the next meeting to offset any doubts.

Chason agreed and said that the commission must foresee site problems and address them early, if possible.

“We need to make sure that people who buy these lots understand that there’ll be site costs,” he said. “It’s just the nature of the beast. “We should protect people who build on these lots that are not as astute as you are on how to build a basement.”

Another precaution at Thursday’s meeting was the review of a questionable noncompliance at the Park at Whispering Pines apartment complex.

Bill Eady, planning director, reviewed the project and found total compliance, he said.

An issue had been the distance from Pollard Road to the building; it seemed less than the required 30 feet, according to Commissioner Victoria Phelps, who was absent from the meeting.

After studying the plans and property, Eady said the building is actually more than 45 feet from the road.