Milton council sets public hearing on water projects

Milton Town Council will hold a public hearing Monday, Dec. 7, in order to determine whether to move forward with a referendum on borrowing $1.6 million for a series of water main replacement projects.

Following the public hearing, council could vote on a resolution setting a date for the referendum; town officials have tentatively set a Saturday, Jan. 16 date for the referendum should the resolution be passed.

The town has been approved for a loan by the state’s Water Infrastructure Advisory Council with favorable terms for the town: interest-only payments during construction and 100 percent loan forgiveness once the project is complete. 

Plans call for water main upgrades from four-inch to eight- to 10-inch mains on Atlantic Avenue, on Chestnut Street from Front Street to Coulter Street, and from Atlantic Street to the intersection of Cave Neck Road and Front Street. Town Manager Kristy Rogers has said the town is about 95 percent ready to go to bid on the project once financing is secure. 

Town officials have said the project will improve water-flow efficiency, and allow for tie-ins to Cannery Village IV and Tidewater’s new wastewater treatment plant, both located close to the intersection of Front Street and Cave Neck Road. While the town is mandated by code to build the infrastructure for the tie-ins, the tie-ins themselves will be the responsibility of the developers. 

Should the project go to referendum, it would be the second in three years on water infrastructure projects. In June 2018, voters approved borrowing $895,000 for three projects: a new water main connecting Wagamon’s West Shores, and a new well and treatment plant at Shipbuilder’s Village. The first two projects have been completed, while the new treatment plant is under construction. 

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