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Board directs design, easement work for Cherry Hill water extension; orders sewer add‑alternate in bids
Summary
Culpeper supervisors directed staff to pursue design and easement acquisition for a proposed $7.7 million extension of town water to the Cherry Hill/transfer station area and asked that a sewer force‑main be included as an add‑alternate. The board voted to proceed, with Ms. Ellis opposed.
The Culpeper County Board of Supervisors voted Sept. 3 to move forward with design and easement acquisition for a proposed extension of water service from the Town of Culpeper’s St. Jameson Road to the Cherry Hill/Culpeper County Solid Waste Transfer Station area. The board also instructed staff to include a sewer force‑main as an add‑alternate in bidding documents.
County staff reported two main engineering options: a standalone Cherry Hill water treatment and distribution system (engineer bid figure reported about $4.6 million, with an operating cost estimated at roughly $105,000 per year and limited to about 50 connections unless another source is found) or extending the town’s water distribution (engineer estimate about $7.7 million) under an interjurisdictional agreement that would avoid a county operating cost. The county currently has roughly $3.9 million budgeted in the CIP for the project; staff said available CIP funds would be used to begin design and easement acquisition, with construction funding to be considered in the next budget cycle.
Sewer option: staff recommended including a sewer force‑main as an add‑alternate while the ditch is open; material costs for the segment along Route 522 were estimated at about $600,000, and an engineer’s estimate for a broader small‑gravity sewer build‑out in nearby subdivisions done in conjunction with the water line was about $3 million. Including the sewer as an add‑alternate would give the county a bid price to consider without requiring immediate construction.
Why it matters: the extension is intended to serve homes near the landfill and Cherry Hill area that face failing drain fields and to enable future connections without duplicative construction. Board members discussed the potential to later use the corridor for additional sewer work if development or community needs warrant it.
Vote and next steps: the board approved moving ahead with design and easement acquisition and to include a sewer add‑alternate in bid documents; the motion passed with Ms. Ellis recorded as opposed. Staff will proceed with easement acquisition and detailed design and return budget requests for construction funding in the upcoming CIP/budget cycle.
Quotes: “Those bids came in at 4,600,000.0. That would serve about, be limited to 50 connections until we found another water source,” Mr. Howard said, summarizing the standalone option. He told the board the engineer’s estimate to extend the Town water line was about $7,700,000. “We have already acquired all the easements around the transfer station and former landfill right now, to run the distribution system,” Mr. Howard added.
Timing: staff will begin design and easement acquisition with existing CIP funds and return to the board during the next budget cycle to request construction funding if necessary.
