College Station discusses concerns about sewage line in Bryan

COLLEGE STATION, Texas (KBTX) - The City of College Station is responding to Bryan residents and leaders who have voiced concerns about a proposed sewer line.

The sewer line proposals shared with neighbors living in Bryan’s historic Beverly Estates neighborhood show the City of College Station is looking to put a sewer line along Rosemary Drive. In a heated meeting Wednesday, residents pressed city staff on an alternate option while Bryan leaders warned of strained relationships between the cities.

Currently proposed is a gravity line, which relies on an incline to transport waste.

On Friday, College Station staff held onto their position that an alternate option is too expensive. This option is called a lift station, which pumps sewage from lower elevations. Staff said this system would cost the city a big chunk of money at face value and as well as yearly maintenance.

On Wednesday, Bryan Mayor Bobby Gutierrez said the City of Bryan and Texas A&M have offered to help with the additional cost of that lift station. But, College Station said any offers to help with the cost have not made their way to them. College Station staff said while offers to help with generators and daily checks are great, it’s not enough to offset the initial cost.

College Station Mayor John Nichols said he has all the confidence in city staff, to explore all options and work with residents to find the best path for the sewer line.

“It’s critical to have confidence in your staff to know they have done the due diligence on all the options before they bring their recommendations,” he said. “There’s always going to be some differences of opinion, but I think if we work through it, we’ll find a good positive outcome for everybody.”

Many residents at Wednesday’s meeting voiced concerns about the sewer line in Bryan, which would only serve College Station residents. But, Mayor Nichols and city staff said that there are a few areas where Bryan and College Station have worked together, sharing land and resources, in order to deal with growth in Aggieland.

“Clearly the two cities laid out the way they are with what I would call politically drawn line borders don’t always follow the terrain and don’t always follow the logic of infrastructure. We have lots of reasons why we need to coordinate and cooperate, whether it’s on police and fire aid or whether it’s trading out utility service areas, which we do some of. I think if we have a good understanding of what the underlying facts are and the perspectives and needs of both cities. And the fact that both cities have some infrastructure built in the other city,” Nichols said.

Nichols also said they’ve held meetings with the Beverly Estates HOA as well as Bryan City Staff, in order to find workable solutions for the sewer line.

College Station City Staff say plans for this project have been in the works for years, including conversations between the cities and engineers. Residents on Rosemary Drive were alerted to the project via notices sent out by the city in October.

Residents raised concerns Wednesday about not receiving that letter, but College Station Staff clarified Friday that letters were only sent to properties that could see a direct impact from the line.

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