Worcester Plans No Changes For Route 50 EDU Fees

SNOW HILL – Though they’re eager to see commercial development near Samuel Bowen Boulevard along Route 50 increase, local officials have agreed not to tweak area sewer costs.

The Worcester County Commissioners, following a recommendation from the county’s water and sewer committee, voted this week not to adjust EDU (Equivalent Dwelling Unit) costs in the Riddle Farm sanitary service area. The decision came after a report from a consultant earlier this month outlining various tax scenarios that might make EDUs more affordable for commercial developers interested in the available properties near Walmart in Berlin.

“My intent was to present options to accelerate development in the area of Walmart,” said Bill Badger, the county’s economic development director.

Badger said he’d suggested hiring the consultant Municap Inc. to present ways the county could lessen EDU costs after hearing from developers that the $23,535 price set for Riddle Farm EDUs was prohibitive.

“What that means is some developers may not come to this area,” he said.

Municap presented county officials earlier this month with two ways to cut costs, reducing the county’s $4,926 portion of the fee or creating a special tax that would enable developers to pay the county portion of the fee over time. At that point, the commissioners put forth the possibility that Goody Taylor, the county’s private partner on the sewer project, look at cutting the $18,609 portion of the EDU fee he was to receive. When the county’s water and sewer committee met to discuss the report, however, Mark Cropper, the attorney for Goody Taylor, made it clear that his client was not interested in adjusting his piece of the EDU fee.

“Under no circumstances did anyone ever say to me Mr. Taylor’s got to give up something,” Cropper said. “My client’s paying the cost to increase the sewer capacity of what is a county-owned plant. The only way my client gets reimbursed is through the sale of these EDUs.”

Cropper said there were developers not willing to commit to purchasing EDUs because of the county’s earlier indications that officials would be working to reduce costs.

“The mere consideration of a different means by which to finance these EDUs, as long as that possibility  is looming around there are certain developers not willing to commit because they think there’s a possibility if they wait long enough they can get them cheaper down the road,” Cropper said.

Nevertheless, he said the Cordish Company was ready to buy a large portion of the available EDUs at the previously set price whenever they became available.

“They’ve been waiting,” he said. “They’re the one developer that has consistently indicated a desire to purchase these EDUs.”

Kelly Shanahan, the county’s assistant chief administrative officer, said the money the county received from the sale of EDUs could be used to fund the expansion of water service to the Route 50 service road.

“If we left out there the option to finance, that’d stall progress,” he said.

The commissioners agreed to follow the water and sewer committee’s recommendation to make no adjustments and to leave the EDU price at $23,535.