CARRBORO – At its Nov. 22 meeting, the Carrboro Board of Aldermen unanimously agreed to pursue the construction of a public sewer line on East Main Street.
The town has sent a letter to the Orange County Board of Commissioners seeking assistance with funding for the new line, which is estimated to cost $250,000.
On Aug. 26, a private sewer line began to discharge sewage in a parking lot behind businesses on the 100 block of East Main Street. A temporary fix was made to the line, and owners of property on the south side of the block of Main Street from Armadillo Grill to Friendly Barber have been working to fix the problem, but without a long-term solution the issue could force the closure of the restaurants and bar on the block.
Because the line in question is a private line, OWASA policies state that the utility is not responsible for maintaining it, leaving property owners responsible for the fix.
The board has already approved the use of $60,000 from the town’s revolving loan fund to repair the line, but property owners ran into issues with the repair, which would require crossing over the property of Jean Ward, who owns the building that houses Friendly Barber and the Orange County Social Club. Town staff have not been successful in negotiating an easement over the property.
– Staff Reports