What happens when outside developers build a community without a solid plan for handling wastewater

Date: Tue, 4 Feb 2020 01:59:18 +0000
From: George Chatham
Subject: Flame On

If you want to get an idea of what happens when outside developers build a community without a solidly thought out, proven and environmentally sensitive plan for the future of wastewater, read this week’s Chatham N&R article on the front page entitled “Briar Chapel, Fearrington to wait for wastewater decision”.

Perhaps a better headline should be “Newland Communities leaves a flaming bag of you know what on every resident of Briar Chapel’s front porch.”

Now if I have this straight, Newland turns over the wastewater job to Old North State but then still controls the oversight through the BC Homeowners Association. Then when they recently turn over HOA control to the residents, they leave them holding the bag (as it were) of poor service, bad odor and improper dispersion of so-called reclaimed water. Not to mention the several spills they have had into Pokeberry Creek.

Folks, if you remember way back when Newland was railroading the county and electing county commissioners to do their bidding, this was exactly the issue that so many people were worried about – wastewater and what happens when the developer moves on to greener pastures.

Fast forward to Pittsboro and Chatham Park. See any parallels?
Not sure how the wastewater is going to be handled, kicking that can down the road; trying to wear down our elected officials with fancy lawyers; spurning environmental guidelines – see recent $10,000 fine for driving heavy equipment right through a creek at Mosaic – “The Gateway to Chatham Park”. Was that story covered by Chatham N&R, one of the owners of the paper also being a principle in Mosaic?

Kind of ironic that under the second part of the Briar Chapel Wastewater story (and the story on Pittsboro being short of a town manager, town clerk and town engineer) is a full-color 1/2 page ad for Chatham Park (a Wake County developer) and Garman Homes (a Wake County builder).

So nice to know Chatham Park is, per their website, “…planning to handle wastewater in a 3-part approach. First, early phases of Chatham Park’s wastewater needs will be handled by the Town of Pittsboro’s existing wastewater treatment plant.”
An already overburdened facility.

“Second, the Town of Pittsboro has an agreement with the City of Sanford to treat a portion of Pittsboro’s wastewater there.”
So how long is Sanford going to do this and will Chatham Park pay for it all?

“Third, Chatham Park plans to build a reclaimed water treatment facility to address sewer needs of early phases of development while the line to Sanford is being constructed.”
Wonder who will operate it when Preston Development leaves for greener pastures and leaves a flaming bag for the residents and all of Pittsboro’s taxpayers to hold.

To get an idea our present and future, study the past…