BERLIN — A long-discussed project to expand the Riddle Farm Sanitary Service Area was approved this week by the Worcester County Commission, but several nearby property owners felt they were being left in the lurch when they weren’t included in the expansion.
Initial planning for the extension of Riddle Farm water and sewer service to cover parts of Route 50 near the Glen Riddle residential development began in the early 2000s. It will include the addition of 267 EDUs. The project is the perfect example of government working with private industry to ignite development, according to attorney Mark Cropper.
“This hearing is actually taking place because of an agreement that was entered into between my client, and the commissioners on May 7, 2013, which is truly a public, private partnership, as your letterhead says, ‘citizens and government working together.’ This is really the epitome of that,” Cropper said.
Cropper represents WGC EDU, LLC, an entity that owns a number of parcels that will be included in the expanded service area. But while Cropper’s clients were the leading force behind the expansion, at least four properties in the area are upset that they weren’t included in the new coverage.
Property owner Spiro Buas complained to the commission that, while the discussion over the expansion has been going on privately for years, he was never given a chance to participate and ask to be included.
“I’m not sure when I could have jumped in. This is the first time I could have jumped in. I don’t want to ruin many years of work for people,” he said. “I would like to figure out how we can get the service area out, my property desperately needs it. We have a crippled system now.”
Mark Wittmyer, co-owner of Crabs-to-Go in West Ocean City, felt the same.
“I understand that this seems like the 11th hour. Again, this is our first opportunity,” he told the commission, “although our intentions have been clear for the last 15 or 20 years that we’ve wanted to be included in the Glen Riddle septic area.”
Crabs-to-Go has been forced to replace its aging septic twice since it opened, added Wittmyer, with each replacement costing about $20,000. Two other property owners who weren’t in attendance at the public hearing for the expansion Tuesday also informed Cropper that they would like to be included in the new service area.
“Each of those persons contacted me and asked that I simply make the county aware that they are not in either of these areas and they think they should be in these areas,” said Cropper.
Unfortunately, the 267 EDUs can only be stretched so far and there was worry on the commission that if these other satellite properties are added to the new service area then there won’t be enough EDUs left over for significant commercial expansion.
“We can’t risk having a large acreage area parcel, if somebody wants to bring in a big box store and not have the EDUs for it,” said Commissioner Jim Bunting.
Buas countered by telling the commission that any future big box store is hypothetical at this point but his need is both urgent and pre-existing.
“I’m ready for this today. I’m willing to pay,” he said, confirming that he could use at least four EDUs.
The commission voted to pass the service area expansion without including any other properties, however. Commission President Bud Church explained that the ball has already rolled too far to retroactively start altering the expansion, especially since a blessing is needed from the state to keep everything in line.
“You’re one piece of a little puzzle that we have to, hopefully, incorporate down the road,” he told Buas. “I give you my word that we’ll be looking at that once we get this resolved. To change it today would be more complicated, I think, than getting this passed.”
Bunting agreed and reminded the rest of the commission, several of whom showed signs of reluctance, that the plan isn’t new and has been in the works for too many years to hold up any further. The county could seek to phase those interested properties in after the new service area has been established if it so chooses.
Besides the discussion over the size of the service area, there was some question about if the extension of water should match that of sewer. The plan drafted by county staff would not extend water as far as sewer, stopping it before an area they designated as “the oxbow” adjacent to Route 50. Cropper requested that the county consider having water mirror sewer. However, Bob Mitchell, director of environmental programs, explained that properties in the new service area need sewer for the most part and adding water to all of them would be “heaping more financial responsibility” on property owners than they would likely want.
“This is an intensive area for sewer. You have a commercially zoned area. These are not residential properties. Sewer is the main focus of where this oxbow designation was,” said Mitchell.
The commission voted unanimously to approve the service area expansion using the map drafted by county staff.
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