Thursday, February 17, 2005
Deep Creek Lake Residents Oppose Sewer-Line Hookup
Eight Deep Creek Lake residents met with the Garrett County commissioners this week, voicing their opposition to possible mandatory hookup to the lake’s public sewer system. The residents live below Marsh Hill, along Sandy Beach Lane and Stockslager Road.
Their properties were originally included in Phase II of the Deep Creek Lake Wastewater Treatment Plant expansion project. That phase is scheduled for 2010, according to Mark Tonkovich, director of Garrett County Department of Public Utilities.
Several Sandy Beach and Stockslager property owners, however, signed a petition several months ago requesting public sewer service. Because of the residents’ petition, Public Utilities included a “trunk” line to their area in Phase I of the treatment plant expansion project, slated for completion in November 2006.
Not all the property owners in the area signed the petition, some of whom attended the meeting with the commissioners this week.
Homeowners are required by law to connect to pubic sewer/water systems whenever the lines abut their property. But the law also allows sanitary commissions to decide when residents have to hookup, said Bill Walton of Stockslager Road.
He asked the commissioners to consider putting his area back on the Phase II schedule.
“I think we can look at it (the project) and re-evaluate the time line,” said Commissioner Ernie Gregg.
Sandy Beach Lane resident Howard Bell said the petition that was circulated did not include specifics about the project. In effect, residents reading the petition were simply asked to sign it if they wanted on the public sewer system.
However, since then, he said, those who did sign have learned more about the project and are concerned about costly connection fees. Bell calculated that the average cost for residents to hook up to public water and sewer systems at the lake would be $25,000.
“We think it’s a terribly high price to pay,” he said, especially since many have their own working water and sewer systems.
“It puts a tremendous burden on residents,” said Robert Stockslager about the fees.
Tonkovich said the average total cost of connecting to the DCL sewer system would be $14,400.
Bell noted that the Deep Creek Lake Watershed Economic Growth and Planning Analysis Study task force recently recommended that the county encourage retirees to move to Garrett County. Bell agreed with that idea, noting that he himself is a retiree who moved to Deep Creek Lake.
He indicated, however, that costly mandatory hookups on top of high property assessments would dissuade retirees from moving to the lake and financially burden those already living there.
Betty Stockslager of Stockslager Road added that young families would also be adversely affected. A young couple she knows own a home with a working private sewer system. They are not primary residents of Deep Creek Lake, but they hope to be one day, she said. The costly fees would impact the family, causing them to “rethink” their dream.
Stockslager added that others in her area own “simple” homes that have been in their families for years. They would like to be able to pass them on to future generations, but the fees may force the families to sell the homes instead.
Gregg asked Tonkovich if the county had the “ability to reconsider” the trunk line without affecting the expansion project. The director indicated that the project could proceed without including the trunk line at this time.
Gregg noted that the line could be added to the system, if needed, several years from now.
The officials will discuss their options further and review the project’s final design before making a decision. Tonkovich said the design would be completed by the end of the month.