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Sewer Extension Approved 4-3
Thank you for attending the September 15th Mayor and Council
meeting. There was standing room only attendance and I received many
emails in opposition to sewer extension prior to the meeting.
Despite requests by citizens and Council Members D'Aversa, Tart and
Zahner Bailey to allow a minimum of a week to review last minute, new
maps and IGA, a vote was taken to approve sewer extension. I am
greatly disappointed with what I perceive as a rush to a vote and the
approval of sewer extension supported by Mayor Lockwood and Council
Members Thurman, Lusk and Hewitt.
Karen Thurman made the motion to approve staff's newly-created map and
the new IGA and to include more acreage for sewer extension than staff
had recommended. Bill Lusk seconded the motion. This
4-3 vote to approve sewer extension impacts areas of Highway 9, Webb
Road, Hopewell Road (in Vickery Crest subdivision), Crabapple including
Green Road and Arnold Mill, Green Road near Waterside, Waterside and the
Crabapple Village and land on Mayfield Road.
Please use this link to read the article in
Tuesday's, AJC.
Council members Zahner Bailey, D'Aversa and Tart vote
against sewer extension
[photo by Miltonville]
While I appreciate staff's effort and time, please know that I did not
support this motion or vote. The new maps and IGA were provided on
Friday and Sunday at 2:00 a.m. These documents were never made
available to the public before the council meeting on Monday night.
Council members D'Aversa, Zahner Bailey and Tart requested a work session
so that the public would have an opportunity to familiarize themselves
with these documents and to provide input. This request was
denied. A decision of this magnitude deserves appropriate
deliberation.
Regardless of claims otherwise, the Milton City Attorney has stated for
the record, not just once but several times, that the version of the
Fulton County IGA and sewer service maps voted on Monday night included
sewer extension. Staff's anaylsis also shows sewer extension; for
the full Staff analysis click here.
Please note that the City of Milton website reports that this vote did
not represent new or extended sewer. This is incorrect as the new
sewer map and IGA do, in fact, include new sewered areas. These are
represented in red on the attached sewer map and were pointed out
by the City Attorney and staff's analysis. To see the Milton
website article and new sewer map, click here.
Obviously, sewer in itself is not bad or evil. The problem is that
it allows unnatural density levels. There are two exposures from
the new sewer areas. First, higher density may be allowed than the
unsewered land would otherwise support. Second, properties
adjoining the new sewer areas may well request sewer in the future.
Approval would be subject to future City Council decisions, so control is
tenuous. If legally challenged, Courts may tend to approve zoning
requests where the infrastructure (sewer) already exists. The new
sewered areas will create new exposure to additional sewer expansion.
Now that the vote has been taken, the next step is to reach a legal
agreement with Fulton County Commissioners. In an article published
in today's AJC, Commissioner Lynne Riley indicates
that the maps and IGA approved on Monday night do not extend sewer far
enough. The article confirms that Council Member Thurman's motion
to add areas to the map was an attempt to get closer to Fulton's desired
stance.
I know that many of you are disappointed and feel personally let down by
the decision of some to extend sewer into Milton. Please continue to contact the Mayor and Council
Members about your concerns.
As always, thank you for the opportunity and privilege to serve as your
Council Member. I will continue to work hard on your behalf
everyday for the future of our collective community.
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