Raleigh County Commissioners are once again asking Grandview area residents if they would like public sewer access. If at least 80% of residents vote yes this time, the project could begin as soon as September.
A public meeting regarding the proposed project was conducted on July 21 at the Grandview Christian Church. Commission members, engineers and employees of the Shady Spring Public Service District (PSD) were in attendance to answer questions and receive input from citizens.
Those who spoke against the project were concerned about fees associated with installation of a pumping system that must be placed at every home and PSD rate fees. They also expressed concern about future development in the area now that the Grandview State Park has been designated a National Park.
Those in favor of the project stated that they were tired of both the sewer smells after a hard rain and sewage from a neighbors septic system coming onto their property. Many felt like there would be no better time than now to have a public sewage system installed, especially since the National Park Service will provide a $12,000,000 grant to fund phase one of the project and various other federal grant monies could be made available.
According to Commission President Dave Tolliver, the project is not a guarantee. He stated that he and other commissioners have received numerous complaints regarding sewage issues at Grandview — many of those complaints are from residents who don’t want to start trouble with their neighbors. He added that after discussing the issue, the commissioners felt like they would revisit the idea since the last proposal four years ago was a no go. Ultimately, the decision will be up to residents.
“This is the second time we have tried this,” Tolliver said to those in the audience. “If you don’t want it, we will put the money somewhere else.”
Under the plan, a small diameter wastewater collection system will serve the citizens of Grandview as well as Grandview State Park. Due to the amount of rock in the area, a system of this type would cause the least amount of property disturbance, according to information provided at the meeting.
Each homeowner who wants public sewer access will be provided with a grinder pumping system free of charge (complete with a two-year warranty) and they will receive free installation of sewer lines to the home, up to 300 ft. Customers will be responsible for a 220-watt breaker on their electrical panel to power the grinder pump.
If the project is approved, each homeowner, regardless of whether or not they hook up to the system, will be required to pay the minimum existing sewer rate. According to information provided by the PSD, the current minimum rate is $22.97 per month.
The wastewater will be taken under the interstate and connected to the existing system at Crow Road. The project would take about five years to complete at a total estimated cost of $28,520,000.
Letters have been sent to each resident who would be affected by the project with information on how to vote either yes or no, Tolliver said. For those who haven’t received a letter, they may contact the Raleigh County Commission or the Shady Spring Public Service District at 304-255-1565.
