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Residents say new wastewater plant fencing and lights are harming property values; commissioners pledge response
Summary
Pat and Rachel Sarracco told Queenstown Commissioners the town's new wastewater treatment plant has bright lighting and an 8-foot chain-link fence topped with barbed wire that they say mars their view and reduces property value; commissioners said they will review the concerns and respond within 30 days.
Pat and Rachel Sarracco read a formal letter to the Queenstown Commissioners on Jan. 25 saying the town's new wastewater treatment plant has adversely affected their quality of life and property values.
The Sarraccos said bright lights from at least two buildings "bathe both our backyard, and bedroom and kitchen with light," and that a newly installed 8-foot chain-link fence topped with three strands of barbed wire is visually unappealing and more appropriate to a detention facility than a downtown setting. They asked the town to move the fence at least 4 feet onto town property so a plant buffer can be installed, replace or screen the chain-link fence with wood where code allows, remove the waterfront-facing chain-link where possible, install plantings, and adopt motion-sensor or other measures to prevent light intrusion. The Sarraccos asked for a written plan and timeline and said they expect a response or they may pursue legal action.
"We have been exceedingly patient," the letter states, documenting roughly 33 months of construction activity that, the Sarraccos wrote, included deliveries and heavy equipment noise starting as early as 6 a.m., truck idling at night, workers on or crossing their property, trash from the site, and other disruptions. They said promises made when they bought the house — that the plant would "look like a Cape Cod style house" and blend with the neighborhood — were not fulfilled.
Public Works manager Lane Cole is listed in the minutes as addressing plant issues, and the minutes record that "the Commissioners informed them that they will look over their issues and give them a response within 30 days." At the meeting the Sarraccos said that a 25-foot section of fence adjacent to their garage had been moved back about 4 feet, but they said other elements remain unresolved.
The minutes include reporting from GMB engineer Jason Lytle that plant operators recently drained and cleaned the first and second membrane trains and completed a 24-hour test; he recorded current effluent at about 210 gallons per minute and referenced a forthcoming report from supplier Ovivo. The minutes also note that the USDA toured the plant and that a punch list from that tour will be addressed.
The commissioners did not take a formal vote on the Sarraccos' requests during the session; the minutes record a commitment to review and reply within 30 days.
