Statement on Southern Kent Island Sewer to be mailed to all residents of QAC
To: County Citizens June 10, 2014
From: Queen Anne’s County Commissioners
Re: Southern Kent Island Failed Septic System Relief Plan
Failing septic systems present longstanding public health and environmental concerns in older South Kent Island (SKI) communities that border the Chesapeake and Eastern Bays in our County. The communities include: Tower Gardens, Kent Island Estates, Romancoke, Queen Anne Colony, Kentmorr, Chesapeake Estates, Sunny Isle of Kent, Normans (Batts Neck), and Matapeake Estates. These systems could not be approved under existing public health standards. Most of the septic systems lie within the water table, meaning sewage percolates onto the ground and into waterways. We want to update you on efforts to address these public health and environmental problems.
There is a state of the art sewage treatment plant just north of Route 50 within three miles of the northern most community. Studies establish the most efficient and effective way to address the problems is to extend public sewer lines exclusively to the SKI communities and have this sewage go directly to this County operated treatment plant. About twenty years ago, similar public sewer extension projects were initiated and completed for two other communities in our County, Cloverfields and Bay City. These communities suffered from septic system failures now prevalent in SKI.
At your County’s urging, a bill passed this past Session of the General Assembly authorizing multi-million dollar grants of Bay Restoration Funds for projects like the project planned for SKI. The County has made application for this funding, which would offset user costs to make the sewer extension viable. Application for a low interest State loan has also been made.
Some vacant lot development commensurate with the sewer line extension is anticipated. The vacant lot development potential has been reduced from 1,600 to 658, through a rigorous design of the system service area and required lot consolidations. It is anticipated that no more than about 85 percent of the lots or 560 lots will ultimately develop over many years. These vacant lots, which are all infill among developed lots, will pay more than the existing 1,518 developed lots. The County lacks legal authority to reduce lot development potential further.
With the State funding and the premium vacant lot owners will pay, the remaining costs for the sewer extension will be paid solely by existing homeowners, with no support from County tax revenues. Suggestions to the contrary ignore the 20-year experience with Cloverfields and Bay City where no County tax revenues were required to support these projects.
The project will reduce nitrogen intrusion into our precious waterways by 17,300 pounds annually. This reduction is one-third of the County’s septic system nutrient reduction mandate. Without this public sewer line extension other means will have to be utilized to meet the mandate, which could burden County tax revenues.
On May 27, the Board of County Commissioners enacted the legislation and resolutions needed for the SKI sewer extension project to move forward. Final state funding approval is still required.
We were pleased that after a thorough analysis, the Midshore Riverkeeper Conservancy, a credible advocate for the environment, supports the project. Its support statement is posted at
www.qactv.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/SKI-Statement-MRC-PDF.pdf We are perplexed about Queen Anne’s Conservation Association’s opposition to the project, particularly its stated objective to petition the lot consolidation ordinance, enacted on May 27, to referendum. That ordinance will reduce development potential in SKI and other areas of the County, by requiring the consolidation of contiguous lots owned by the same person that do not conform to present zoning.
It simply does not make sense for an association purportedly founded to promote conservation to oppose County action to reduce development potential, end a longstanding health hazard, and eliminate 17,300 pounds of harmful nitrogen now entering our local waterways each year. So, we urge you to become knowledgeable about the project and to not sign the petition.
Our County has invested much effort into this laudable project. We urge you to review the more detailed information about the project on the County webpage at
www.qactv.com/home/ski-sanitary-project/, at least reading the Midshore Riverkeeper statement cited above. We are excited about the project, as finally, after 40 years of evaluation and discussion, a solution to the SKI dangers is possible.
We wish all the best for an enjoyable summer.