Letter to the Editor
The WV Department of Transportation recently indicated to the city of New Cumberland that they would proceed with Alternative 4 of the Route 2 road project. This was in response to the city’s letter urging the DOT to choose Alternative 5A. The path of Alternative 4 will go through the city’s sewage vacuum station. The vacuum station is part of the city’s longstanding sewer project. There has been unofficial verbal communication that the road project will incur the cost of relocating utilities. This would mean that the city will get a new sewage vacuum station at a new location via the road project and the work proposed under the sewer project involving the present facility will cease to exist. Under the circumstances, and since this is a state initiative, city council needs to obtain a written agreement that the Route 2 road project will cover the cost of not only the new sewage vacuum station but the monetary disbursements already made in good faith on the eliminated portion of the sewer project. Also, responsibility for the cost of drawing the plans for a new vacuum station, and the cost incurred to provide temporary sewage services during construction of Route 2, need to be addressed. Already there has been a miscommunication involving the sidewalks along Route 2. The DOT stated that it was impossible to prefer Alternative 5A over Alternative 4 due to historical property, the former Graham’s General Store, and recreational property, the sporting complex on S. Chester Street. Alternative 4 however sends Route 2 through the main entrance to the city park, negatively impacting that recreational property.
The Route 2 road project is being sold as a design build. The DOT stated that it is the city’s responsibility to work on issues involving utilities with whomever is awarded the project. Relocating the sewage vacuum station is not a minor inconvenience. Complying with federal and state regulations while relocating and moving all the sanitary, vacuum, and water lines will be cost prohibitive if not impossible. If relocation becomes unfeasible then a return to a 100% gravity feed sewage collection system should be considered. If that is not feasible then Alternative 4 is not feasible.
Larry Binkoski
Councilman