Cheriton Town Council Endorses Mandatory Sewer Hookups
To Cape Charles Treatment Plant
CAPE CHARLES WAVE
August 30, 2013
Cheriton Town Council agreed August 28 on language “supporting the PSA [Public Service Authority] to introduce sewer service from Cape Charles,” adding that “the Town of Cheriton is willing to require mandatory sewer hookups in the agreed upon sewer service area.”
Cheriton Town Council authorized Mayor Joseph Habel to send a letter to Willie Randall, chairman of Northampton County Board of Supervisors. The support for hooking up to the Cape Charles sewer treatment plant gets only a small mention in the letter, which focuses on a proposed boundary adjustment that would nearly triple Cheriton’s land area and increase seasonal population by 75 percent.
Mayor Habel’s letter states that “due to soils with severe limitations for septic drainfields in approximately 41 percent of the undeveloped area [of Cheriton], new residential development is difficult for 20,000 square-foot lots without central sewer facilities.”
“The viability of the Town of Cheriton’s central business district and existing residential development . . . will also be strengthened by provision of central sewer facilities,” he wrote.
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The letter envisions an expanded town boundary that “will be able to attract and manage new development with a single vision that generates Town and County tax revenue to support existing and new services, including public safety, schools, water supply, and wastewater treatment.”
The proposed enlarged Cheriton boundary would begin near the Cape Charles traffic light and stretch along both sides of South Bayside Road, west to Route 13 and east to the railroad track. On the northern side, the Town line would be extended from west of Sams Road to portions of Cherrystone Inlet northward to about ¼ mile below Eyrehall Drive.
According to Habel’s letter, landowners support the boundary line adjustment. “The Town of Cheriton has surveyed landowners in the proposed boundary line adjustment area and they support the proposal,” he wrote.
What central business district? If you require the five or so businesses that do exist in greater downtown Cheriton to pay exorbitant sewer hook-up fees they will be GONE! Also, how do you expect the residents who can barely afford their mortgages to pay those fees. Bad idea, Mr. Mayor. Don’t let the people of Cheriton suffer the same “stick it to ‘em” policies that Cape Charles now practices.
Mayor Habel claims that 90% of the residents want the sewer pipe. I wouldn’t believe that in a million years. I have already spoken with quite a few and no one that I have spoken with wants the pipe. The people in Cheriton had better come to the PSA meeting on September 16 at the fire hall at 7 p.m. to fight this mistake.