Bicknell council denies developer’s request for 20 culinary water hookups

The Bicknell Town Council on May 1 denied a request by developer Dave Van Dyke for 20 new culinary water hookups to a town line outside the municipal area.

Council members said an engineering study showed the existing “Bicknell Bottoms” line could at most accept about 13 additional hookups and that the line currently lacks fire flow; any expansion would require approval from the State Fire Marshal. Van Dyke told the council he was willing, as developer, to fund an engineering study and to upgrade the line to an 8-inch pipe and install fire suppression and a chlorination pump if required.

Council members said the proposed service area lies closer to Torrey than to Bicknell and would require running water more than two miles from town. The council expressed concern about the long-term operational obligation of extending town culinary water that far, and about the limited direct financial benefit to the town beyond water fees. One council member summarized the view by saying extending the line that distance "is too far" for the town to obligate itself to serve.

After discussion, a motion to deny the 20 hookups was made, seconded and passed. During the meeting no roll-call vote listing individual names was recorded for this motion; the chair called for general assent, and the motion was approved.

Council members and staff told the meeting they would expect any future requests on that line to include an up-to-date engineering report, clear documentation of required state approvals (including the State Fire Marshal), and detailed cost and maintenance proposals so the town can evaluate operational impacts before taking action.

Van Dyke and his representatives may return with additional studies or a revised proposal; the council did not adopt any conditions or direct staff to negotiate specific upgrades as part of the denial.

Why it matters: The decision leaves the existing Bicknell water system capacity unchanged and signals the town will not extend culinary service into outlying parcels without confirmed fire protection, state approvals and clearer local benefit. The outcome also underscores the town’s need to document line capacities and hookup records before approving future off‑site extensions.