Why residents are upset

STAR - Residents and a builder clashed in Star Thursday night – with residents complaining that planned modular homes violate neighborhood rules.

Workers with Sawtooth Custom Homes arrived in the Saddlebrook Homes subdivision near State Street just after 8:30 p.m. Thursday.  Several trailers loaded with pre-built homes pulled into the neighborhood, with work set to start on homes Friday.

A crowd of 40-50 residents took to the streets, and blocked access to several driveways, leading to tension between workers and homeowners.

“This company has snuck in under cover of darkness with a full crew to set up a couple of homes,” resident Kevin Nielsen said.

Greg Cassidy with Sawtooth Custom Homes said they showed up at the late hour because the trailers were delayed in Pocatello, and faced windy conditions Thursday which slowed the shipment down.

When crews arrived, they found residents blocking the driveways of the home sites.

"Well, we were trying to transport our modular homes to this property, and get them ready for staging for tomorrow for erection,’ Cassidy said. “We showed up to stage our homes, and all these homeowners showed up to basically protest “

Homeowner Kent Day said the project violates the neighborhood’s covenants, conditions and restrictions.  CC&Rs are rules placed on the deeds of a group of properties that govern issues like building materials, types of landscaping and even the types of homes that can be constructed on a lot.

The Saddlebrook homeowners claim modular homes can’t be built in the neighborhood.

“This end of the subdivision was supposed to be higher end homes,” Day said. “Now without any permission from the homeowner's association, in violation of the CC&Rs, they are coming in here and building these modular homes - which is going to devalue our property.”

As the situation escalated, police came to help defuse tensions.

"(Sawtooth Custom Homes officials) requested police respond to have those people removed,” Ada County Sheriff’s Deputy Zachary Wells said.” Unfortunately, the people blocking the driveways or block property owner's access to their land, so they were asked to move."

The residents moved out of the way, and were not cited.  Instead, the long trailers carrying the homes were found to be in violation of city ordinance.  Wells said the trailers were cited because they are too long for the city streets.  He also told Sawtooth officials that they were not allowed to conduct construction activities between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m.

Now it appears the battle will move from the streets to the courtroom.  Nielsen said neighbors will file a restraining order to halt the project. 

Cassidy also remains determined – saying his crew would start construction right away.