Sylvan Shores Moves a Step Closer to County Water and Sewer

It was just over a year ago that homeowners in the Sylvan Shores community in Riva .

The proposal won with more than 60 percent of residents saying "yes" to retiring their aging and, by all accounts, failing cooperatively-owned and

The work is slated to begin in January 2012 and take two years. At the conclusion of the project, neighbors will be connected to the county's water and sewage system and the private utility will be closed for good. 

The total cost is expected to be $6.7 million, according to Bill 75-11, which the council will likely approve at Monday's County Council meeting.

The costs associated with the project will be carried by residents on a per lot basis over 30 years.

Bill 75-11 will allow the county to collect fees from homeowners by creating a "Sanitary Subdistrict," a kind of special taxation zone so that the county's tax-collecting arm can recover the cost of the project by exclusively assessing homeowners who live in Sylvan Shores.

The bill also allows for any grants or other funds to be paid into a credit account for the Sylvan Shores Sanitary Subdistrict, reducing the individual costs for each homeowner. The job has already brought forth

District 7 Councilman Jerry Walker (R-Gambrills) said, "I applaud Patrick Jameson (the community president) for his leadership in securing additional funding from MDE in the form of grants. Separate from the county petition process, the community secured this additional support that ultimately reduced the cost of the project to the residents/county and as a result made the new system a project that the community felt comfortable embracing."

“It’s tremendously encouraging to see a community like Sylvan Shores step up to upgrade its sewer and water infrastructure, especially when it comes at considerable expense to the residents themselves.  We’re actively working with communities around the South River to take similar steps to improve water quality and protect human health," said Erik Michelsen, executive director of the South River Federation.

Environmental impacts are the main reason that the water and sewer systems are considered to be failing.

South River riverkeeper Diana Muller called the construction of the new infrastructure "exciting." She said the current system "is leaking nutrients into the South River and must be replaced."

Even with the grants and credits, there will be a cost to each lot owner in the community.

The bill sets the limit each lot can pay for replacement of the lines at $1,418 per year over a period of 30 years. The fees are assessed per lot, so that if a Sylvan Shores homeowner sells, the debt remains attached to the home and transfers to the new owner.

In addition to the infrastructure costs, each homeowner will also pay a one-time user connection fee. One each for county water and county sewer hook-ups. That charge is $4,500 per household, and will also be financed over a term payment not to exceed $599 per year for 24 years, according to the legislation.

In practical terms, each homeowner in Sylvan Shores now and in the future will likely pay up to $2,000 per year extra in taxes over the next three decades.

The bill also states that at any time, if the amounts allocated for the project exceed the dollar amounts set forth by Bill 75-11, the special district and the project itself can be canceled with a 30-day notice to the Anne Arundel County Council.

Finally, the proposal was made retroactive to the date of its initial filing: Nov. 7. 

Look for the final vote in council chambers on Dec. 5.