Council questions developer's safety practices

C-Bar Estates developing company, Freedom Holdings, has run into a couple significant glitches as they move forward with the subdivision started last year, beginning with the mandatory rebuild of much of the roadway throughout due to improper compaction and, now, previously agreed-upon water taps into each lot that must be installed according to DEQ permissions must be established.

After discussing the situation at length with Pine Haven's council, Greg Cottrell and Robert Chamberlin have instructed their contractor to follow through with the individual lot connections as the sewer line is laid in place and reopen previously buried line to do so as well.

Swagger Construction has also been reprimanded for the unsafe practice of leaving the trench unsecured after work hours. The water line rests over ten feet down and this ditch remains open within feet of Pine Haven Road when construction crews go home.

Councilman Dan Blakeman spoke candidly of his concern:

"I took pictures with my phone, this is insane. You go up there and take the second right after you go around the corner, you're going to drop it in the hole. There is no fence. All we need is one side-by-side to go down there and fall into that hole. That second turn to your right has never been fenced. It doesn't even have a piece of equipment parked in front of it. It is wide open."

Mayor Karla Brandenburg said that Swagger has made some effort, however, "I'm not disagreeing with you, Dan and we have talked to them about that safety issue...My big concern is that little kids don't get in there."

The mayor asked Town Attorney Pat Carpenter about the liability the town carries regarding this issue and possible recourse. "If something happens...we don't want anyone seriously hurt or worse yet, killed, the next step is how much liability is the town facing on account of that."

Carpenter advised the council, "If the town decides that it is an unsafe worksite, you have the right to issue a 'stop work' order, if that's what you want to do, if it has reached that point."

The mayor intends to address the continued safety issue with the contractor.