C Bar fails line test

After another year with KO Construction on site at the C Bar Estates in Pine Haven, the development is, again, running behind schedule and finding approved completion of the project out of reach. This time the issue is a significant failure of the sewer line to pass the test to be integrated into the town’s wastewater system.

Pine Haven Mayor Karla Brandenburg explained to the council at Friday’s workshop that developers Freedom Holdings’ representative, KO owner Kelly Lang and others participated to address the problem as the developer continued to assure the mayor and HDR Engineering’s Heath Turbiville that the development is close to completion.

There are currently numerous “dips” along the wastewater lines, meaning the crews did not properly lay the bed nor cover for the pipe as they put it in place.

Turbiville has advised the council that KO’s plan to run a “pig” through the lines, pushing any debris out and again to get a clearer understanding of the problem will be helpful. The situation may right itself with this initial intervention. However, according to Brandenburg,

“He [Turbiville] said that, from what he saw in the videos, he doesn’t think that their efforts to simply clean the lines will be sufficient for the problem,” she said.

The engineer later told the mayor that the project would not be near completion until, best case scenario, the spring of 2025.

The council hopes Pine Haven understands that the C Bar Project has never been a town undertaking, but if the council accepts the work, all issues become the responsibility of the town and the town coffers to repair in the future.

“In my opinion,” Brandenburg stated, “We’re doing the right thing saying we’re not going to accept this project like this; it’s not our problem at this point and we’re not going to accept it until it’s done right.”

The town holds a $1 million line of credit as a bond on the project. The bank holding the credit line assured the mayor that, if the developer declares bankruptcy and/or abandons the C Bar Project before completion, “the money will come to the town to finish that project”.

However, according to Brandenburg, all parties involved have studied and discussed this situation at length and are sure they can finish the project. “It’s all moving in the right direction,” said the mayor.

The extensions between the Boe Driveline and C Bar will not be addressed until the infrastructure of the estate is complete.