Union Mills Reservoir dominates commissioner talk
Mary Scott 30.JAN.08

UNION MILLS — The proposed Union Mills reservoir monopolized a large chunk of discussion between residents of the Silver Run and Union Mills areas and the Carroll County Board of Commissioners at a community forum Jan. 22.

County staffers were also on hand to answer questions.

Building a reservoir has been a project idea for decades, according to Steve Horn, county planning director. Horn said in the 1960s, the county decided to maintain three sites as potential locations for reservoirs.


The Union Mills project never even got close to an application phase because the project idea was set aside after the Army Corps of Engineers advised the county that any county application for a reservoir would most likely be turned down.

The county has continued to acquire land in the hopes that a reservoir would be constructed in the future.

Horn said the county received confirmation in the past few years that the state may be more willing to support surface water systems, such as a reservoir.

In the fall, the county’s water and sewer master plan was approved by the state, which included plans for the reservoir as part of an approach to have diversified sources of public water.

Resident Steve Reynolds questioned whether the county had bought land for the reservoir near an old landfill where he believed toxic chemicals were present. He also asked the commissioners why they felt a reservoir “is such a good thing.”

The commissioners told Reynolds the county had never and would never purchase land for a reservoir with toxic chemicals present.

Horne said the county is dealing with more pressing needs concerning water supply at the moment than the reservoir project, which he described as a long-range project.

According to Horne, home construction in Westminster and Mount Airy is currently limited because of consent agreements the municipalities have with the Maryland Department of the Environment until water supplies are increased.

Unless the water deficits in the incorporated areas improve, growth will occur in the unincorporated areas, Commissioner Dean Minnich said. This would mean rural areas in the county would grow to have more of a suburban feel, he said.

A reservoir, Minnich said, seems to be a feasible option for working with the towns.

Several residents questioned why the county does not take water from the Piney Run Reservoir in South Carroll, as that was originally planned and built as a drinking water source.

Minnich said that is not a viable option for Westminster and North Carroll because Piney Run is located 17 miles from Westminster.

Commissioner Julia Gouge said the county has also conducted a study on possible well sites, but the water production capacities are not large enough.

Horne said the Union Mills reservoir is at least a decade away.

“We have much farther to go,” Horne said.

The proposed airport expansion at Carroll County Regional Airport was also discussed at the meeting.

Resident John Stevens said he was unsatisfied with information e-mailed to him by Gouge on the topic and questioned whether she had all of the information on the project that she should have.

“We voted to move forward with the environmental impact study — that is where the information really comes in. That’s where we really have the meetings,” Gouge said.

Gouge said the environmental impact study is currently under way and will take between 12 and 18 months to complete.

Jeff Topper, interim airport manager, also spoke on the subject.

Topper explained that some jets currently using the runway cannot take off with a full load of fuel but would be able to do so on the proposed runway extension.

“I think the idea of a runway extension is a safety issue,” Topper said.

 

Westminster adopts water allocation policy, gains eminent domain for pipeline
Mary Scott 30.JAN.08

The City of Westminster took several steps forward in its consent agreement with the Maryland Department of the Environment Monday night when the Common Council approved a new water allocation policy and gave the city eminent domain for the Medford Quarry pipeline.

The new water allocation policy is based on the foundation of the current interim policy with a few changes, said Thomas Beyard, director of Planning, Zoning and Development for the city.

“This policy really is forward looking,” Beyard said.


One change under the new policy would be that if a building undergoes a change of use that also changes its water usage, it would require a new water allocation.

An example of such a situation might be if a video store became a coffee shop, Beyard said.

There will be priorities for water allocation, including government institution projects and major commercial and industrial projects.

Beyard said water allocations would be looked at every year to be sure they were appropriate.

The council also approved a resolution giving the city eminent domain for the Medford Quarry pipeline.

“Hopefully, it’s something we don’t ever need to use, but we have it if we need it,” John Walsh, city attorney, said.

The resolution would allow the city to move along with property easement for the pipeline if private property owners cannot reach an agreement with the city for a fair and just price, Mayor Thomas Ferguson said.

“Once we get going on that pipeline, we don’t want any delays,” Ferguson said.

Both resolutions passed by the council are part of a consent agreement the city signed with the MDE in April 2007 to help ensure the city can meet demand for water in the event of a drought.
 

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