A letter from Mr. Mareen Waterman to the Queenstown Commissioners:
1. After numerous meetings, Mr. Lex Birney and myself have come up with a joint proposal to resolve the Town’s sewer/water problems.An outline for a formal agreement follows:Washington Brick & Terra Cotta Company and the Waterman Family Partnership will together arrange to construct a 200,000 g.p.d. sewer plant on the site of the present plant.
Construction will be by “Aqueonics” which the town has thoroughly studied and is, we believe, completely comfortable with. Aqueonics will build the plant for Waterman and Washington Brick & Terra Cotta Company at a fixed price of $3,600,000. This price includes all work in obtaining permits, design and construction of the plant, which shall be built so it is readily expandable (to 360,000 g.p.d.) within the new structure. There will be sludge drying and handling facilities, with odor controls, within the facility.
2. Waterman Family Partnership will contribute $1,500,000 to the cost of the plant, which will purchase a 60,000 g.p.d. sewer allocation. In addition, Waterman will contribute $500,000 as a donation.
3. Washington Brick & Terra Cotta Company will contribute $1,000,000 which will purchase sewer allocations of 40,000 g.p.d. Both Waterman and Washington Brick & Terra Cotta Company shall be permitted to sell any part of their allocations not needed for their respective projects, to any user approved by the Town.
4. The plant will be privately built on the Town Lands, and upon completion given to the Town. Building it in this manner will save perhaps as much as 20% of the costs if it were built by the Town.
5. The Town will reimburse Waterman and Washington Brick & Terra Cotta Company for $600,000 of the construction costs, by issue of municipal bonds at 4% interest, payable amortized over ten years, or upon sale of allocations. Waterman and Washington Brick & Terra Cotta Company will guarantee placement of these bonds, and may hold them if necessary.
6. In addition to the sewer plant, Waterman Family Partnership will purchase 60,000 g.p.d. of water allocation at and for a price of $1,000,000. The Town will obtain a new Water Appropriation permit, and will drill a new well, or expand existing wells to provide this capacity.
7. Waterman Family Partnership and Washington Brick & Terra Cotta Company will be responsible for construction of all sewer connections to their properties. User fees will not commence until individual building permits are issued and each building will be separately charged.
8. Waterman Family Partnership will be responsible for extension of a water line to a central meter on it’s site, and billings will be based on useage measured by the meter. Waterman Family Partnership may install meters for individual buildings in order to allocate useage costs and shall be permitted to establish rates chargeable to it’s sub-users.
9. Waterman Family Partnership’s participation in this is contingent on a final favorable passage of it’s annexation petition, including an annexation agreement, rezoning to Town Business Park and Open Space (for the identified Shore Buffer), award of growth allocation for approximately 70 acres, (to be designated IDA) and identification of the Waterman Family Partnership as a Priority Funding Area.
10. Adoption by the Town of a Town Business Park Zone which will permit up to 700,000 s. ft. of mixed use commercial. Mixed use commercial shall include assisted living facilities, and up to 24 units of 1 bedroom, 1 bath apartments of no more than 700 sq.ft., restricted to adults.
11. Washington Brick’s participation is contingent upon final, nonappealable site plan approval for the proposed resort facility and amendment of the Town Code and Charter, as appropriate, to permit use of private well(s) and water system(s).
12. Waterman and Washington Brick’s capacity allocation shall be permanent and irrevocable, however, both entities shall be authorized to trade or sell unused capacity, as determined by average annual flows established by Town meters on their respective properties, to other properties within the Town’s service area.
Should you wish to pursue this solution for your Town’s infrastructure problem, you should pass a resolution to that effect; thereafter, Waterman Family Partnership and Washington Brick & Terra Cotta Company will have formal contracts prepared for your review.Waterman Family Partnership, Washington Brick & Terra Cotta Company and Aqueonics are all prepared to quickly move forward with this, and await your passage of the necessary resolution.
Very truly yours,__________________________________Waterman Family Partnership Mareen D. Waterman, General
Partner__________________________________Washington Brick & Terra Cotta CompanyBy: Lex Birney
