Robbinsville – The Town of Robbinsville Board of Aldermen held a special meeting Friday, to discuss planned water-system upgrades around town.
Robbinsville recently received a grant of $2,199,540 from the Appalachian Regional Commission for two new deep water supply wells and new automatic-meter readers.
Joel Storrow – prinicipal of McGill and Associates, the company hired by the town to do the construction and engineering on the new supply wells and meters – briefed the board on when a request of qualifications was approved a few weeks ago.
Storrow presented the proposal for the work to be done, which was unanimously approved.
“The big components of the project are the wells at Long Creek,” Storrow noted. “The second aspect of it is the water meter. We’re going to automatic-meter readers, which will really help to identify where you’re losing water.
“All of those meters will be updated with modern technology and connect the well lines to Long Creek.”
Storrow also gave an update on the Laura Street project and the difficult task of securing easements for the work. The only two approved easements are from the Graham County Board of Education – which is signed and recorded – and one from Benny Orr, which is signed, but not recorded.
A trust for the Williams family on Rodney Orr Bypass is another easement needed for the project. The line will go down to Tallulah Creek and has been infamously offline for almost a decade.
The other two easements needed for the Laura Street project are from the Phillips Historic Motel. The motel has a line of cedar trees at the edge of the property that the owner was concerned about. Storrow and the mayor worked out a plan for the water-line route, which will be off the tree line and will turn on the Williams’ property. The plan will require one tree to be removed on the motel’s property, which the owner reportedly agreed with.
It was also discussed at the meeting that Robbinsville received $1.395 million from North Carolina. The funds will go towards work on the water systems on Atoah and Circle streets; 2,800 feet of sidewalk replacement; and 3,785 feet of fire-hydrant lines on Old Sweetwater Road.