The Routt County commissioners voted recently to allow vault permits to be used in Stagecoach subdivisions without public water and sewer. Here is an excerpt from the announcement to Realtors:
VICTORY!
SSBR & Stagecoach Lot Owners Squash MCWD’s Plan to Limit Sewer Vaults!
… Morrison Creek Water District made it clear property values would drop to near $1000 under the proposed plan, but that property values weren’t their responsibility. They also responded to SSBR’s letter to the County Commissioners in a power point presentation. They agreed to SSBR’s assertion that MCWD is unwilling to construct the necessary infrastructure for development. MCWD argued that in order to achieve development for all of Stagecoach, MCWD would end up in Bankruptcy again. MCWD also believes they cannot legally develop some subdivisions and not others.
There was an endless line of lot owners speaking against the proposal, how it would effect their property values, their ability to get sewer, and water, to their homes, and to the jaded process of approval by SPOA and MCWD. Suggestions were made to address the vault issues, such as allowing lot owners to aggregate parcels to achieve the 5 acres necessary for an individual leechfield-but allowing those parcels to not be contiguous. SSBR’s cap and trade recommendation, to allow permits to be transferred once a property owner has installed central sewer, was well-received, and even MCWD felt it was worthy of studying the possibility. Another suggestion was to create a local improvement district(LID) to fund infrastructure in Stagecoach. MCWD felt strongly that it would not happen because 76% of property owners would have to sign a petition to get it approved.
The County Commissioners made it clear to everyone in the room that if Stagecoach were developed today, it would have been done differently. The commissioners also wanted to make sure lot owners understood there is no “right” to a sewer vault in Stagecoach, and that many will never have access to sewer and water.
One of the most legitimate concerns made by the Commissioners was that many lot owners will be paying fees to MCWD and will never receive service. They felt this will be taxation without representation, and that lot owners may begin to petition to get out from under MCWD.
After 3 hours of debate, the Board of County Commissioners ultimately voted no to the MCWD’s proposed 2nd amendment.