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4< <br /> PFt crr EE crr OUR 40. I.dATER ee <br /> 300 JAMES STREET <br /> • CARRBORO, NORTH CAROLINA 27510 <br /> c/o Allen Spalt 967-3054 <br /> May 22, 1989 <br /> TO: Orange County Commissioners <br /> • FROM: Protect Our Water, by Allen Spalt <br /> RE: McLennan's Farm and Protection of University Lake Watershed <br /> . Chairman Carey and Members of the Board of Commissioners: <br /> There was substantial controversy Just two years ago over <br /> the Town of Carrboro's consideration and approval of intensive <br /> development in the University Lake Watershed. Water quality <br /> experts, Carrboro residents, officials from OWASA, Chapel Hill , <br /> and Orange County agreed that the Amberly project as then <br /> proposed posed an unacceptable risk to the public water supply. <br /> The development , as you recall , consisted of over 150 houses and <br /> a polo complex served by an experimental low pressure underground <br /> waste water disposal system. <br /> The citizens group Protect Our Water (POW) was formed to <br /> fight the Amberly project and to work for protection of our <br /> invaluable water resources. <br /> McLennan's Farms, in the watershed in Orange County's <br /> jurisdiction, was proposed at about the same time . Though <br /> smaller than Athberly, it was no better . POW members testified at <br /> an earlier public hearing in November, 1987, against approval of <br /> the subdivision. We said, among other things, "A public water <br /> supply is not an appropriate place for research on alternative <br /> waste systems" . <br /> What has happened since on these issues: <br /> --Approval of Amberly became the major issue in the next <br /> Carrboro election. All the supporters of the project , <br /> including the former mayor , who were running were <br /> defeated and replaced by candidates who opposed Amberly <br /> and favored greater protection of the watershed. r <br /> --Citizens filed suit against approval of the Amberly CUP by <br /> the Carrboro Baord of Aldermen . The suit was dismissed <br /> on proceedual (standing) rather than substantive grounds. <br /> --OWASA enacted a moratorium on extension of water and sewer <br /> lines in the watershed pending the outcome of a study of <br /> the carrying capacity of the watershed. <br /> --Carrboro adopted a moratorium on developments with <br /> alternative systems or more than four septic systems -• <br /> pending consideration of the OWASA study. <br />