Staff member says site plans show utility pipe and underground retention tied to nearby canal, raising runoff concerns

At a City Council meeting in Whiteville, a staff member warned that the developer's utility plans show a pipe running along the north end of the property from James Street to Lee Street and tying into local ditches and storm drains that lead to a canal near where a synagogue once stood on Frank Street.

"there's a pipe that comes across right along the north end of the property, and it comes from James Street all the way to Lee Street and ties back into the ditches in the storm drains and carries it up there to the canal next to where the synagogue used to be on Frank Street," the staff member said. The same staff member added that "there is actually in the plans, it's a chamber system that's gonna be under the parking lot," tying underground retention features to the surface drainage the council is concerned about.

A councilmember responded that much of the block will be covered by buildings or asphalt and warned that surface coverage will likely increase runoff compared with current conditions. "we're basically we got, I don't know, almost that whole blockhouse is gonna be covered with either a building or asphalt, and it's gonna and it's gonna have a lot of water than they had before," the councilmember said. The council asked for more details and confirmation of when excavation for the retention chambers would occur; the staff member said the timing was not specified in the discussion.

The councilmember who led other updates offered to follow up with additional information: "I'll reach out and follow-up with some information." No formal motion, vote, or binding decision on the project or permits was recorded in the meeting transcript; council members requested more details and assurances about retention measures and bonds.