Chapman Sewer
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By -
I attended the meeting in December put on by the Chapman Lakes Environmental Watch regarding the creation of a sewer district around Chapman Lake. I attended since my property is within their proposed arbitrary boundary.
At this meeting there weren't any facts backed up by any actual data to support CLEW's position on neither ground water nor lake water quality. IDEM was there to give a presentation. It, too, was without any data regarding local water quality.
At the meeting one person said he only had to dig 20 inches deep in his yard before he would hit water. It was also mentioned that he knew of a family that had to live in a motel a couple of weeks because they couldn't flush the toilets in the house due to high water tables at certain times. These little sob stories weren't any surprise to me nor did they generate any of my sympathy. Many times I have driven or walked the roads around the lake wondering why anyone in their right mind would build or buy a house so close to the water with their lawn only a couple of feet above the lake level and expect a septic system to work, especially when the lots are so small and close together. Anyone of average intelligence should expect that to be a problem waiting to happen.
The county commissioners really need to look through all of CLEW's smoke and mirrors. What this really is all about is getting a lot of other people to pay tens of thousands of dollars over a person's life time to support the waterfront property owners' way of life. They enjoy having the lake at their backdoor but don't want to pay all of the associated costs of having some problem properties. By their own admission at the meeting, CLEW said they wanted to make the sewer district as big as possible to spread out the costs more. They said 1,200 property owners are in their proposed district. They also said a sewer system would raise their property values. I oppose the proposed sewer district because my property, like many of my neighbors, is a large lot with well-drained soil at least 200 yards north of the lake without lake access. Putting me in their sewer district won't raise my property value; it will actually decrease it since it will be creating an unnecessary financial burden. At the meeting it was obvious that CLEW doesn't care about the landowners away from the lake; they are just trying to benefit themselves.
People opposed to being included in the Chapman Lake sewer district need to make their voices heard about this before it is too late. I hope the county commissioners can recognize CLEW's motives and have the integrity to refuse to carry the petition to the district. The commissioners need to send CLEW's petition back to them to come up with a reasonable plan that puts the financial burden where it appropriately belongs.
Kevin Edmonds
Leesburg
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I attended the meeting in December put on by the Chapman Lakes Environmental Watch regarding the creation of a sewer district around Chapman Lake. I attended since my property is within their proposed arbitrary boundary.
At this meeting there weren't any facts backed up by any actual data to support CLEW's position on neither ground water nor lake water quality. IDEM was there to give a presentation. It, too, was without any data regarding local water quality.
At the meeting one person said he only had to dig 20 inches deep in his yard before he would hit water. It was also mentioned that he knew of a family that had to live in a motel a couple of weeks because they couldn't flush the toilets in the house due to high water tables at certain times. These little sob stories weren't any surprise to me nor did they generate any of my sympathy. Many times I have driven or walked the roads around the lake wondering why anyone in their right mind would build or buy a house so close to the water with their lawn only a couple of feet above the lake level and expect a septic system to work, especially when the lots are so small and close together. Anyone of average intelligence should expect that to be a problem waiting to happen.
The county commissioners really need to look through all of CLEW's smoke and mirrors. What this really is all about is getting a lot of other people to pay tens of thousands of dollars over a person's life time to support the waterfront property owners' way of life. They enjoy having the lake at their backdoor but don't want to pay all of the associated costs of having some problem properties. By their own admission at the meeting, CLEW said they wanted to make the sewer district as big as possible to spread out the costs more. They said 1,200 property owners are in their proposed district. They also said a sewer system would raise their property values. I oppose the proposed sewer district because my property, like many of my neighbors, is a large lot with well-drained soil at least 200 yards north of the lake without lake access. Putting me in their sewer district won't raise my property value; it will actually decrease it since it will be creating an unnecessary financial burden. At the meeting it was obvious that CLEW doesn't care about the landowners away from the lake; they are just trying to benefit themselves.
People opposed to being included in the Chapman Lake sewer district need to make their voices heard about this before it is too late. I hope the county commissioners can recognize CLEW's motives and have the integrity to refuse to carry the petition to the district. The commissioners need to send CLEW's petition back to them to come up with a reasonable plan that puts the financial burden where it appropriately belongs.
Kevin Edmonds
Leesburg
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