County officials approve Alljoy sidewalk plan
As part of his September 2nd update, Beaufort County Council Alljoy liaison Matt Krause reported that the Public Facilities committee of County Council had approved the plan and the choice of contractors submitted by the engineering department for the construction of a sidewalk in the unincorporated Alljoy neighborhood. Although the committee gave its approval at the August 18 meeting, councilman David Bartholomew acknowledged the concerns of protesters.
He said he had been contacted by residents opposed to the project plan and inquired about the status of the disagreement over the planned use of impervious concrete instead of a natural and pervious material that advocates support because of its usefulness in reducing runoff pollution.
Strong objections to the use of impervious concrete resulted in the passage of a motion by the Beaufort County Stormwater Management Utility Board at its meeting in June, formally declaring a best practices policy advocating the use of pervious surfacing materials.
The motion was made by board chair Marc Feinberg after at-large board member Dennis Ross expressed frustration at the insistence of county council, SCDOT, and the engineering departmentthat the pathway be surfaced with impervious concrete. Council members Paula Brown and Tom Reitz attended the meeting and shared the frustration expressed by Ross. They planned nto present the stormwater board’s motion to County Council and Brown attempted to do so, but was told it had to be presented to the Public Facilities committee first.
While the objections resulting in the motion were discussed at the August Public Facilities Committee meeting, the original motion passed by the stormwater board was not read publicly. The motion to approve the $2.7 million plan for Sandhill ALS Construction, nInc. to construct the Alljoy sidewalk was seconded by Councilwoman Brown and passed by the committee without objection. Feinberg proposed nat the August stormwater board meeting that it would be a good idea to have a board presence at county council meetings and he attended the September 8th meeting.
Engineering Department Director Bryan Bauer said SCDOT would not use pervious material due to maintenance and safety concerns. He said their team looked at the neighborhood environment and determined that, because of the potential for serious flooding, the pervious surfacing would not be effective.
However, he added that a combination of piping and ditches could be installed to direct water away from sensitive areas. Bauer further explained that, in addition to concerns over the material itself, attempting to change the current plan to replace concrete with a pervious material would not be feasible due to other considerations built into the project.
He said the entire application and permitting process would have to be redone and that delays could make it difficult to complete the project in the time allowed for the grant money to be used. Councilman and committee member Mark Lawson added his objection to the use of pervious material for the sidewalk, citing lower durability and useful life, decreased safety, and higher maintenance.
Leading Alljoy advocates have contended that pervious surfacing remains an effective filter of pollutants even when worn down or compacted over time. There has also been some questioning by advocates as to why the sidewalk project itself is being done before the completion of the drainage study which county officials announced has now started.
The proposals for the Alljoy sidewalk and the boat landing were approved at the September 8th County Council meeting as part of the consent agenda. Brown and Reitz were both in attendance at the council meeting and raised no objections.
Channing Heiss is a freelance writer and a member of the Beaufort County disAbilities Coalition.
