Owners wonder how they’ll pay

Published 3:02 pm Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Like many Carlsborg property owners, Paul McHugh is for the Carlsborg sewer project — if it is affordable.

The former Sequim city councilor owns two small commercial buildings, a vacant lot and a single-family home that would be impacted by the project, he said.

The $15 million project will be paid for through grants, loans, $4 million from Clallam County and the rest shouldered by property owners.

McHugh said the initial cost estimate he received for his properties was between $120,000-$150,000.

Since his properties are, for the most part, fully developed, there is no real advantage to him for an expensive sewer system to be installed, he said.

But even the owners of Carlsborg Village Properties, Inc., with 40 acres of undeveloped property at the intersection of Carlsborg and West Runnion roads, say they support the project but don’t know how they are expected to pay their share of the estimated $4 million-$6 million assessment.

Roger Schmidt, owner of Sunny Farms Country Store, said in a Jan. 2 letter to Clallam County Senior Planner Carol Creasey:

"First, I support the idea of a central system to protect groundwater and ensure our future business.

"The bigger question is: Can we as a business or many of our residents afford a centralized system?"