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Blowing Rock approves $55,000 to upgrade Laurel Park Road sewer to public main
Summary
The Blowing Rock Town Council on Feb. 10 approved a $55,000 contribution so a planned private 6‑inch line to serve one restored home will be built as an 8‑inch public sewer main, enabling future connections and placing construction and initial costs on the developer with the town absorbing the incremental cost from water/sewer reserves.
The Blowing Rock Town Council voted Feb. 10 to contribute $55,000 to convert a planned private 6‑inch sewer line on Laurel Park Road into an 8‑inch public main that will allow additional nearby homes to connect.
Jay Patrick Warren, introduced to the record as a professional civil engineer, told the council the 8‑inch ductile iron main with precast manholes is estimated at about $208,000; a smaller 6‑inch private alternative that would serve only the applicant’s property was estimated at about $140,000. Warren said roughly $21,000 of the 8‑inch price covers four future tap connections and that the developer would still pay the majority of the construction cost.
The homeowner identified in the transcript as Mr. Frans told the council he and his wife planned to install the trunk main themselves at an estimated hard cost of about $140,000 to restore their 96‑year‑old house. He said the $55,000 town contribution would cover the incremental cost of upsizing the line to 8‑inch ductile pipe so neighbors could connect later without re‑excavating the road.
Town staff confirmed the project route is approximately 800 feet in the right‑of‑way and that ductile iron is required to meet separation requirements from existing water lines. Staff also told council that $21,240 was already available in current budgets and that any additional funds would be drawn from the water/sewer fund balance (reserves) because the regular annual budget had no room for the overage.
Council members who spoke in favor framed the vote as a private‑public partnership that balanced the homeowner’s significant upfront investment with the public benefit of extending sewer access to a small cluster of septic‑served homes. The motion to approve the $55,000 request passed with recorded affirmative responses in the transcript (vote tally recorded as six yes votes, no recorded no votes).
Next steps recorded by staff in the discussion: the developer will oversee construction under a permit signed by the town; once built, the line will be accepted by the town and become the town’s responsibility to maintain. Staff said the town expects to recoup part of the contribution through availability/tap fees and ongoing sewer billing once properties connect.
Outcome: Motion to approve $55,000 contribution — approved (yes: 6; no: 0; abstain: 0).
