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Residents raise concerns as commissioners hear proposal to add Great Neck Road properties to sewer service plan
Summary
Homeowners near Great Neck Road told commissioners the Brennan/Provosnick sewer-service amendment would fix failing septic systems but could open the area to future development unless restrictions are explicit; the planning hearing remained open for more comment.
Queen Anne's County held a public hearing Aug. 26 on a proposed amendment to the county's water and sewer service map to allow two properties at 233 and 235 Great Neck Road in Stevensville to connect to public sewer.
The properties are owned by the Brennan and Provosnick families and are described in county materials as having documented failing on-site sewage disposal systems and soils unsuitable for replacement on-site systems. County staff said the amendment would change the designation from S-6 (no plan service) to S-2 (service on demand) with an "L" suffix denoting limited development; the amendment would allow the properties to construct and connect to a sewer main in the Great Neck Road right-of-way and convey flow to the existing low-pressure sewer serving Mattapeak Professional Park. Projected flow was stated at approximately 500 gallons per day.
Why it matters: County staff and the applicants said the amendment is intended to address immediate public-health concerns caused by failing septic systems. Several nearby residents said the sewer line would improve options for their homes but warned that extending sewer service could be used later to justify subdivision or other development unless the county strictly limits flow allocations and development rights.
Public comment and questions
- Mark Gabler, the attorney for the applicants, said the owners are seeking the amendment specifically to address the failing systems and that the owners are prepared to pay to install the sewer main to reach their properties. Gabler said the proposed "L" suffix limits future development by allocating flow only for existing uses and that the applicants are not seeking to subdivide at this time.
- Several residents asked whether adjacent homeowners would be able to connect should their systems fail in the future. Commissioners and staff explained that any other homeowner would need to go through the same amendment and allocation process; staff said neighbors could coordinate and submit a joint application but that the current application covers only the Brennan/Provosnick parcels.
- Residents including Holly Mann and Gail Humphrey described decades-old septic systems on nearby properties (built in the 1970s) and asked whether the plan would allow those homes to connect if their systems eventually failed. Staff and the applicants said individual homeowners would need to apply for service or be included in a future amendment; there is no automatic right to connect under the Brennan/Provosnick filing.
Technical and environmental concerns
Speakers noted the proposed sewer alignment follows Warehouse Creek and crosses wetlands. Commissioners and staff discussed construction methods that could reduce wetland disruption, such as directional drilling, and noted such methods would add cost.
Cost and schedule
Staff and the applicants estimated the installation of the sewer main to be a five- to six-digit cost and possibly a six-figure project when including grinder pumps for the two residences; commissioners and the applicants discussed a general planning estimate of approximately $100 per linear foot for similar installations, but speakers emphasized actual cost depends on restoration, directional drilling and other site-specific conditions.
Outcome and next steps
Commissioners left the public hearing record open for at least two weeks to receive additional comments. Staff said any future proposal to subdivide would trigger a re-review and consistency check with the county comprehensive plan and would need separate approvals. Commissioners and staff said neighbors could coordinate and submit a joint amendment request if they wished to share installation costs.
Ending: The hearing focused on balancing immediate public-health needs for existing homes with residents' concerns about whether sewer extension might enable future development; the matter remains under active review with the record left open for more comments.
