There was an interesting story in the Courier News last week concerning the proposed location of the pumping station for the new Claremont development sewer system. If you're not familiar with the details, you can still read the story online here.
Claremont - along with Green Hills, Country Club Homes, and Village Green - was one of the first post-war Hillsborough developments, and was built with residential septic systems, not sewers.
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An aerial view of the Claremont development which straddles Millstone River Road, just north of the Boro.
In 2007, township health officer Glen Belnay advised the township committee about water quality issues and failing septic systems, which prompted the current sewer project.
The majority of affected homeowners were pleased to be part of the $5.5 million project which will be paid for by an assessment on their future sewer bills - but not all. Some homeowners felt that they were fine with their current septic systems and did not need sewers.
As it turns out, the only suitable location for a necessary sewer pumping station is on a small piece of township owned land that sits right between two homes on Onka Drive. And it just so happens that those homes are owned by residents that were opposed to the whole project - and certainly are opposed to having the pumping station next to their homes. Ouch!
Here's a closer look at the houses in question. The township lot is designated on Google Maps as "Alley Dr."
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I have to tell you, the more I look at this image, the more questions I have. Look closely and you may form a few of your own.
What do I see? An awful lot of impervious coverage. Use of township property as though it belonged to the homeowners...and where-the-heck are the two home's septic fields?
ReplyDeleteThese two properties have some unique features. Yes - it does look like impervious surface, but I haven't been to the property, maybe it's just beach sand. In any case, no other home in the development looks like this.
ReplyDeleteAs far as I can tell, these are the only two homes whose driveways come out to an alley like this. That's the township property. I wouldn't go so far as to say they were using the township property as their own - that has not been alleged, and it is not evident from this satellite photo.
But you have to admit - there is a lot going on here that wasn't in the Courier News story!