By Maggie Beamguard
Insider Editor
Approximately 200 residents filled the Seven Lakes West Community Center Friday night, Aug. 14, for a Moore County Board of Commissioners public meeting devoted to the future of sewer and roads in the Seven Lakes community.
County officials communicated that the long-discussed Seven Lakes sewer project has not, contrary to recent rumor, been canceled.
“We’ve heard a couple of questions over the last month or so, statements that the sewer project had been canceled,” said County Manager Wayne Vest. “And we’re here today to say that has not happened. Sewer is coming to the business district, and sewer is coming along Highway 211.”
Moore County Public Works Director Brian Patnode presented the sewer project details and NCDOT Division 8 Maintenance Engineer Matt Kitchen addressed the business roads. Commissioners Nick Picerno and John Ritter and state legislators Sen. Tom McInnis and Rep. Neal Jackson also addressed residents.
The county has been coordinating with the NCDOT as it completes the widening of N.C. 211 from N.C. 73 in West End to Holly Grove School Road, Eagle Springs. NCDOT is installing approximately 10,000 feet of 10-inch force main as part of the highway project, with installation currently about 60 percent complete. The highway project is scheduled for completion, excepting final plantings and permanent vegetation, in October 2027.
Additional force main will connect the Seven Lakes system toward Pinehurst, including approximately 4,350 feet of 10-inch line and 26,200 feet of 12-inch line.
A sewer lift station is planned on property behind West End Elementary School, which has been deeded to the county by the Moore County Board of Education.
The sewer project received a boost of approximately $15 million in state funding through the General Assembly’s 2023 budget.
Sewer will arrive at the Seven Lakes Business District in phases. Phase 1 will use a gravity sewer to serve the southern portion of the district and connect to the planned lift station behind WEE. Engineers have completed the Phase 1 design and are preparing to seek permits and advertise the project for bids.
Phase 2 would extend sewer service to the northern portion of the business district. Because of the area’s topography, it will require a second lift station and additional sewer lines. The current engineering estimate for Phase 2 is approximately $4.7 million. The design of this phase is yet to be completed.
County officials said additional funding will be needed for Phase 2 and expressed hope that competitive bidding on Phase 1 could result in savings that could be applied to additional sewer construction.
The deteriorating roads within the business district were also addressed at the meeting. Patnode said the sewer project creates an opportunity to address the roads at the same time, since construction crews will already be digging along the business district streets.
“If we’re gonna be digging, we’re gonna be putting in sewer along these roads. It makes sense to try to prepare the roadways for DOT to take over in the future.”
Most of the Seven Lakes Business District roads are contained in a parcel owned by Village Roads Association, Inc. A separate road parcel in the Seven Lakes Plaza area is owned by a private citizen, according to Moore County property records.
Since these business district roads are privately held, they are not maintained by NCDOT.
According to officials, a recently enacted state law may provide a pathway for the county to help finance improvements to the business district roads. The law, which took effect in July, expands an existing provision allowing counties to finance improvement to include certain commercial streets.
Before the county can finance improvements, a petition must be signed by at least 75 percent of the property owners to be assessed, representing at least 75 percent of the total road frontage. The roads would then need to be brought up to NCDOT standards before they could be considered for addition to the state-maintained system.
Officials emphasized that the new legislation is untested for commercial districts and that many details would need consideration.
Contact Maggie Beamguard at maggie@thepilot.com.
