(May 29, 2015) The expansion of the GlenRiddle wastewater plant, which would extend sewer service to the commercial area on the south side of Route 50, is taking longer than expected as the developer awaits project permits from the state and the county.
The company, WGC EDU, would otherwise be prepared to begin construction were it not for that issue, attorney Mark Cropper told the Worcester County Commissioners last week.
“I want to make it clear that it is in my client’s best interest to complete the project as quickly as possible,” Cropper said, referencing the arrangement that allows WGC EDU to sell EDUs for profit in exchange for bearing the cost of expanding the plant so it can accommodate WalMart and other big box stores that sit across the highway opposite the GlenRiddle community.
The agreement to expand the plant took about six years to develop, with the process actually getting under way in May 2013. The agreement also stipulated that all permits and approvals needed to be in hand two years hence, with construction to begin in June of this year.
But Cropper told the commissioners in March that the permits would probably not be received by the two-year deadline through no fault of his client. The commissioners agreed informally then to extend the deadlines and continued with that theme last week.
At this juncture, both sides are leery of imposing any drop-dead dates that might put either of them in breach of the original deal.
As it stands now, there are 20 outstanding requirements to be completed by September. Three items, Cropper said, were out of his clients’ control: a Maryland Department of the Environment dewatering permit, a construction permit and a wastewater treatment plant capacity re-rating or approval to use different equipment.
In the meantime, all sides agreed to a program of progress updates from WGC every 60 days.
