Following is a heartfelt letter from Monica Chambers, who lives on Ebenezer Road.  Opposition to rezoning 745 Ebenezer Road to allow cluster homes (on 1/4 lots) is nearly unanimous.  Milton Council members often cite “local control” in justifying their votes in Council.  For example, every council member cited “local control” when voting to approve the gating of Crooked Creek.  So it is fair to ask Council:  Given the nearly universal opposition from local residents, why isn’t the principle of local control relevant to this and other rezonings.

April 20, 2016

City Council Members, Mayor, and City Manager,

My name is Monica Chambers and I live at 715 Ebenezer Road in Milton. I am one of the homeowners directly affected by the developer variance request for Ebenezer Road. I am writing to share some research I have done in regards to the proposed variance, that I cannot address just speaking at the council meeting on Monday. I am against the variance for several reasons and would like to address several of those reasons here.

I think it goes without saying that higher density zoning reduces the value of the homes around it, especially in a setting such as currently exists on Ebenezer Road with estate homes built on multiple acres. I truly believe the developer’s request for the variance is an end around to allow smaller lot sizes with higher density. I have attached a PDF with pictures of neighborhoods that Brightwater Homes has or is currently developing in the Milton/Roswell area. As you will see in not one of these developments have they maintained ANY greenspace. They have an incredibly high density in the two Roswell developments. The third development in Milton was developed on one acre lots and even in that neighborhood the homes are close together due to the unbuildable sloping of the lots. I have attached pictures to show the high density of the neighborhoods as well as the clear cutting of the lots before building. The suggestion that they are proposing the greenspace for anything more than economic gain on their part is absurd.

I have also done a tremendous amount of research on community septic systems. I now know more than I have ever wanted to know about septic tanks, drain fields, black water waste and all the health and environment issues that can arise from the failure of these types of systems. It is very clear that this system is being proposed again as an economic advantage for the developer and has no other purpose than to decrease the lot sizes and increase the density of the homes into the most favorable building lots of the property. I have attached some of the research I have done regarding the systems. In summation I have learned that community septic systems are good options when there is no other viable option in a VERY rural area (which Ebenezer Road is not) where there is a high level of regulation by the local government both in the building requirements of the system as well as the ongoing maintenance that is required to maintain the system and prevent catastrophic failures.

The first attachment labeled – Septic Research is slides taken from the States of Idaho and Maine. These are communities where due to no other viable option they have had to embrace community septic systems. There is a time and place where community septic systems should be used and in fact are a good option – rural areas with no other means of sewage disposal. It should never be the choice when the area is surrounded by other developments, homes, wells, etc. These states have had to adopt very stringent requirements for these systems and in most areas have government control of the systems similar to the Water Department. This is due to the high level of issues they were having with the systems and the huge negative impact the failure of these systems has had on the environment as well as the high financial impact of their failures and the cost related to fixing the systems. Without the proper oversight, which our state, counties and cities currently do not have, the systems will fail. It is not a question of if but when. I was able to find multiple lawsuits against developers and cities where the community septic system failed for a variety of reasons, poor soil quality, improper design, neglected maintenance, natural flooding, human error, etc. The second attachment labeled – Quotes, is quotes taken from various lawsuits, newspaper articles and even our own State of Georgia Health Department website.

My home is on a well for our water supply. My 4 neighbors whose homes surround the property are also on wells. The type of failures that are possible when 50 homes are dumping their sewage in a field behind my home is truly scary and possibly devastating to my home and more importantly could have major health consequences to me, my husband and our four children. The scariest part for me is how easily the failure could happen. It could be as simple as a home running their clothes washer too many times in a day when it has rained for several days straight. Or it could be a family who dumps food or grease down the sink, or washes harsh chemicals down their sink or flushes feminine products down the toilet. All of these items can cause one tank to fail and proceed to have a field of 50 homes sewage to flood – in my backyard. When failures happen to one home on a single septic system it can be contained it that one yard – when one home fails in a community septic system all 50 homes sewage will flood the fields. The smell, the ecological effects and the ground water damage can be catastrophic. This is not anything I believe the City of Milton nor its residents is willing to take the risk on just so a developer can make more money.

I realize we are one street in a big city but I ask you to ask yourself how you would feel if 50 homes were going to dump their sewage in your backyard? I keep thinking of the scene in the movie Erin Brokovich where she asks the electric company’s lawyers if they would like a glass of water from the well in Hinkley, CA that was contaminated. Would you like knowing the water you shower in and drink from comes from a well next to a 50 home leech field? If the risk is as low as the developer would lead you to believe, why did he offer to my husband to pay for us to attach to city water?

I do not oppose this parcel of land being developed. I do believe it can be done in a thoughtful manner that will benefit both the developer and the surrounding residents. I do believe the developer builds attractive homes that fit with the look of Ebenezer and Milton. I do NOT believe a community septic system should be allowed in this suburban setting. I also do NOT believe there is any reason why the developer should be allowed to build on lots at any less than the minimum requirement of 1 acre lots as required by law for the AG1 zoning.

The City of Milton was started because the residents of North Fulton wanted our interests and property rights and values protected. We voted for the City of Milton for you to do just that. Your job is to protect the taxpayers of Milton, not protect the wallets of developers. I only ask that you do your job and protect us, the taxpayers of Milton.

Sincerely,

Monica Chambers