Some Cumberland residents want to be kept informed as the Village moves ahead with its liquid waste management plan.
The Village had been warned for non-compliance issues in recent years before being fined by the Province last summer. In the fall, council got an update from consultant Paul Nash about its plans to revise how it manages liquid waste. This will happen in phases, including the construction of a lagoon.
Residents of Steam Engine Estates on Coniston Crescent though want to make sure they will have a voice to express any concerns as the project proceeds. A delegation of Dave Rudolph and former council member Roger Kishi appeared before council Monday, saying they do support the project but have some questions.
“We’re not suggesting this doesn’t need to be done,” Rudolph said.
They want to avoid a situation such as the contentious one in the Comox Valley Regional District involving Curtis Road residents in Area B, who have complaints over matters such as smell from a nearby sewage facility.
RELATED STORY: Neighbours give Comox Valley sewage commission deadline to deal with stink
In their letter to Cumberland council, Steam Engine Estates residents highlighted some concerns about potential issues such as noise, light and odours.
“This group of residents is really trying to be proactive,” Kishi said.
Before council, they said they expected disruption during the construction phase and wanted to reduce the impact of traffic and noise.
“We’re a little bit concerned that there may be some increased sound,” Rudolph said. “Construction is always a disturbing process.”
They are hoping the Village will follow through with an engagement process, especially with neighbours of the site, early in the project to handle any issues that arise during the different phases of the project. Kishi highlighted some of the questions to be addressed, such as the status of the design process, the potential chemicals to be used on site and what will happen with the end product from wastewater treatment.
RELATED STORY: Cumberland fined for wastewater non-compliance issues
RELATED STORY: Cumberland wastewater procurement process should come in 2020
Manager of operations Rob Crisfield responded they are still too early in the process to have details about the design, but he added the plan must get approval from the Province.
“There’s some steps we’ve got to go through,” he said.
At the end of the discussion, Mayor Leslie Baird added the Village does intend to keep the community informed of how the wastewater project is progressing.
“We’ll definitely be keeping everybody up to date,” she said.
mike.chouinard@comoxvalleyrecord.com
Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.