Action intended to make needed repairs on dam less costly
The Middlesex County Board of Supervisors voted 5-0 on Tuesday, Oct. 3 to begin the abandonment process of the road over Healy’s Millpond dam and to conduct a public hearing on the matter at the board’s November regular monthly meeting.
During a town hall-style meeting Monday at the Middlesex County Historic Courthouse in Saluda, a glimmer of hope arose that a 17-year “dam mess” can once and for all be resolved.
The Healy’s Mill Homeowners Association (HOA) and others living on the pond have studied the possibility of fixing it, but cannot afford the cost unless the dam is downgraded to a “low hazard classification.”
Vice president of the HOA, Vivian Dwyer, said, “the fastest and simplest way to fix this problem is by abandonment. It would eliminate the county from having to fund another major project and it is the easiest and cleanest solution.”
Johnny Fleet wanted the county to revisit road construction with VDOT and other state officials to see if there was any possibility of fixing the road. He said that there is a new administration in Richmond since 2006 and that the state is much better off financially than they were then.
“When you have a little money to fix something, you are more likely to go ahead and do it than when you don’t have it,” he said. “I’m asking you to reach out (to those) a little higher up and a little stronger and see what happens. You might be surprised.”
Dwyer responded, “We’ve had plenty of time to fix it. If we put it off 25, 30 or 40 more years, we won’t have anything. We do not have time for that.”
McKnight was asked if VDOT is building and maintaining any roads over private dams in the state now. “VDOT does not save privately owned dams,” he said.
When asked what would be the cost of building a bridge to bypass the dam, he said he would not venture to guess the current cost but that in 2006 it was priced at $5.2 million.
Jamaica District Supervisor Wayne Jessie said, “This is a no brainer. The people want to fix the dam with their own money. It is sad that the people have to do this because no one else will.”
A public hearing on the matter has to be conducted before the MCBS can vote on either abandoning the road or discontinuation, said McKnight.
This is a developing story.
