by Lisa Hinton-Valdrighi
WHITE STONE—White Stone is moving forward with its public sewer project.
Council voted unanimously, 5-0, following a 15-minute closed session last Wednesday, to have town manager Patrick Frere and mayor Randy Reeves execute a contract to purchase property on which to locate the sewer’s wastewater treatment plant.
Councilman William Hubbard made the motion to have Frere and Reeves begin the contract process to purchase a 19.483-acre tract just outside of town limits on Mosquito Point Road for $250,000. Additionally, the motion stated some $120,000 of town funds “shall be used for this purpose, all to be subject to contingencies set forth in the agreement of sale.”
The public sewer is part of phase I of a town rehabilitation and renovation project, funded in part by a Community Development Block Grant, along with other state and federal grant and loan programs.
Blair Kenyon seconded Hubbard’s motion with Hubbard, Kenyon, Paul Elbourn, Irving Brittingham and new councilman Ran Reeves voting in favor. Council members Drew Hubbard and Kelli Blankenship were absent.
The town is purchasing the land from Bling Bling LLC. According to the State Corporation Commission website, the registered agent for the company is David Nova of White Stone.
The parcel, currently used as farmland, is adjacent to farmland on the right, woods on the back part of the property and Hodges Lane to the left with homes across the road.
According to Frere, public utilities is an accepted use for the property and the town would have to obtain zoning and building permits from the county with the required buffers around the treatment plant.
Prior to last Wednesday’s special meeting of council, there was a management team meeting to discuss contract bids for the first three houses in the rehab project. According to Frere, construction at the homes should begin by early April.
