Published: March 26, 2008 09:47 am         

Hampshire's lack of fiber optics, highway access seen as liabilities

ROMNEY - Hampshire County's future development and infrastructure - water, sewer and technology - are interdependent as evidenced by presentations to the county commissioners by the economic development director and president of the Central Hampshire Public Service District.

Economic development director Les Shoemaker said that as part of the county's certification as an economic development community he was required to attend continuing education training. He said he attended the training in Ohio.

"It was a basic course but it was a good exercise," he said, noting that one of the things they did was to work in teams to compete for a fictitious plant to come into their area.

He said he learned there are a lot of things the county has to offer, but there are a lot of other issues that would keep the county from bringing in such a plant and among those are things that the Legislature would need to do to make the state and the county more attractive.

One thing he said they could do is begin looking for parcels of land that could be optioned for a large plant.

"We are talking heavy industry," he said, noting that new technology would not be as much of an issue as the business park in Capon Bridge is available. He said that while the county has T-1 lines and other access the state is looking at ways to get fiber optics into the area. "The head of the governor's technology office (Jaime Gaucher) is coming up to meet with us in April," Shoemaker said.

He said they are looking at the possibility of running fiber optics along the rail line. "Apparently that is easier to do and it helps that the railroad is owned by the state," he said.

Another issue, he said, is the need to be within fairly close proximity to a four-lane highway - 10 to 15 miles and that is currently not available.

Bob Mayhew of the Central Hampshire Public Service District said the primary issue at the moment is the need for the PSD, the development authority and the county commissioners to come to a partnership agreement for the PSD to take over the Capon Bridge Technology Park water and sewer service from the development authority.

All agree that the utility needs to get off the development authority's books, he said, and that it will provide great growth potential for the PSD in the eastern part of the county.

He said that he and Shoemaker met with the mayor of Capon Bridge in an effort to begin to look at a possible partnership that could ultimately connect the town's system to the PSD for even more growth potential. He said that when the PSD takes over the technology park utility only 10 feet will separate the lines from the town system.

But those possibilities are down the road, the two agreed, noting that now there are significant financial challenges to the first step, that of having the PSD take over the technology park water and sewer service.

Shoemaker said Mill Branch, the only tenant in the park is footing the bill for the entire park.

Mayhew said that by taking over the utility, the PSD will have additional expenses in service and personnel.

"We need money to make the deal work," said Shoemaker.

The amount of money proposed to the commission was $186,000 over a five-year period. During that time, Mayhew said the PSD needs to work on a project to add customers to offset the cost.

Shoemaker would work on selling lots in the technology park to more tenants to add water users that would help fulfill the PSD needs.

Both agreed that the growth potential for industry, residential and commercial growth is significant in the eastern part of the county with the expanded infrastructure.

"This is not a simple agreement," Mayhew said, while Shoemaker added that the process and the potential are both very complicated.

"There are some that don't want to see it happen," Mayhew added.

Shoemaker said that currently it is costing the development authority about $32,000 a year for the technology park system and that come next February they will also have to begin paying debt service on the project, several thousand dollars additional per month.

Commissioners Don Cookman, Steve Slonaker and Robert Hott all agreed that they wanted to support the growth and development in the Capon Bridge area.

"The westward migration is inevitable," said Slonaker. "And the main route for it is (U.S. Route) 50 and Corridor H.

"The $186,000 buys us time and that's all," said Mayhew, who indicated that there are developers who are waiting to do projects in the area but the data on the infrastructure is not currently available for the PSD.

"There's no question that the PSD is better suited to handle the situation," said Cookman, adding, however, that it will ultimately be the commission's responsibility if it fails.

Shoemaker said the current situation is holding up development and he needs to "begin targeting customers for the park to begin eating away at the shortfall."

The commissions stated their intention to assist with the project up to $186,000, pending a draft agreement.

In closing the discussion, Mayhew said that one of the most important partnerships that needs to occur for the PSD is the county interconnector.

"That is the most important project on the table," he said of the plan to connect a 10-inch sewer pipe at Sunrise Summit, down Sand Hill Road to an existing pipe that goes to the Romney wastewater treatment plant,

Mayhew said that will take the moratorium off development because the Little Cacapon treatment plant cannot handle any additional connections.

"I can't under estimate the value of the tax revenue for the development waiting to happen," he said.

He cited new commercial business, including a big box retailer, restaurants and others that have been looking at the area.

The commissioners suggested that if they are interested in locating in the county they may also be interested in participating in the cost of extending the infrastructure.

Contact Mona Ridder at mridder@times-news.com.