As we reported this week, West Sound Utility District has shrunk the boundaries of a proposed Utility Local Improvement District that, if approved by WSUD commissioners, would extend water and sewer along Phillips Road.
People who want to develop their land, including the owner of the Ridgeline development a the far end of the ULID, initiated the process. Originally more parcels were included, but a number of property owners objected to the assessment, saying they either didn’t plan to develop their land further, and/or they already have functioning wells and septics.
In response, WSUD took many properties off the map, but not all of those belonging to people who object. For example, the Clover Valley Riding Center is right on Phillips Road; it’s still in the ULID. The assessment on the property was reduced, however, since owner Jill Seely contested the calculations used to define how much of the property could be developed.
Here is a document showing the ULID boundaries for both sewer and water. The document shows acreage and how much can be developed, as well as assessments (total over 20 years) for each property.
The ball is now in the court of the ULID proponents, who must get a petition showing support from owners of at lest 51 percent of the acreage. WSUD commissioners will be looking for a much higher level representing “overwhelming” support, WSUD manager Michael Wilson has said.
I’ll be following up at the March 16 WSUD meeting the see if there is a petition forthcoming.
Any questions, concerns or thoughts, email me at
chenry@kitsapsun.com.
To clarify the preliminary assessments by West Sound Utility District, this is only if the landowner pays “up-front”. Adding together the water and sewer equals a total assessment of $8,628 (though this has changed 4 times since the original November notice to us), which many people just don’t have the spare change to pay all at once. Add 3.3% interest to this and the 20 year total would be $11,820 per ERU. Doesn’t sound like much for one ERU, but some folks have a lot more “potential” building lots and it adds up fast.