Water woes subside

By Charles Sowell  

AUGUST 13, 2009 6:06 a.m. (0)

Late last month, Greenville County Councilman Fred Payne came under intense fire over what has been called a “Cadillac plan” to put in a much needed freshwater pipeline along Cooley Bridge and Holiday Dam roads.

The cost of that plan, $5,900 or $600 per year, sparked a firestorm at a public hearing held in July at Beech Springs Tabernacle in Ware Place. That plan would have served 490 properties.

Under the new plan a total of 212 properties, 167 improved and 45 unimproved, will touch on the water pipeline along a “spine” of Cooley Bridge and Holiday Dam roads.

The cost will be proportionally lower, $1,497, and that cutback in potential assessment meant cooler heads prevailed at last week’s meeting.

Ginger Reid, who will not benefit since her property isn’t located along the spine, said she’s doesn’t a chance of getting water if this plan doesn’t pass.

“We can do this thing,” she told the crowd. “We’re too good a community to let the least of us miss a chance like this.”

She said bake sales and other money-raising activities could make sure that the poorer members of the community had a chance to get water, too.

Under the scaled back plan, owners of 167 improved properties will pay either a one-time assessment of $1,497 or finance payments of less than $160 a year over 15 years.

Payne said since all property owners in the improvement area must be assessed, the 45 unimproved parcels will pay a nominal $10 yearly fee.

People can tap on as they need to, or can afford to, Payne said.

The plan still must win approval of 51 percent of the property owners who control 66 percent of the property in the service area.

Payne said as of late last week about 25 percent of the property owners had signed on for water. The county will likely close the issue by the end of September if there doesn’t seem to be a chance of passage.

“I’m not sure when this would come up again if it doesn’t pass this time,” Payne said.

Don McIntyre, a medically retired sheriff’s deputy who lives on Cooley Bridge Road, said he wants the water and will pay his assessment and tap in.

McIntyre blasted Payne at last month’s meeting. He apologized last week and said the plan is about as good as residents are likely to see, but won’t vote for it.

“I can’t see forcing my neighbors to pay for something just because I want it,” he said.

Payne said residents in the proposed South Greenville Water Improvement District have been mailed ballots on the issue. A reply to the ballot is counted as a yes vote. Failure to reply is a no vote.

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