Bryan residents and leaders discuss Rosemary sewer project options, possible solutions

BRYAN, Texas (KBTX) - A special meeting on Wednesday with the Bryan City Council brought out over a dozen neighbors at the last minute, as Bryan and College Station work to find an agreement on a sewer project.

College Station is expanding its sewage capabilities to keep up with growth in the A&M and Northgate areas. A current Phase 4 proposal would place that sewer project in a historic Bryan neighborhood.

At the meeting, residents from Rosemary Drive asked Bryan city leaders to reach out to their College Station counterparts.

“It’s my fervent wish and my belief that I believe a solution will be worked out for the betterment of all residents in both cities,” HOA President Scott Hickle said.

The City of College Station maintains that they are pursuing the Rosemary option due to the cost of an alternate system.

Bryan leaders listened to residents’ concerns during the meeting, with Bryan Mayor Bobby Gutierrez saying this push for the historic neighborhood could strain relationships.

“Rosemary is always going to be that Center of town. It’s going to be that historical district that as kids, that’s what you wanted to aspire to get to and we still aspire to get there,” he said. “What is that right amount of money that you should spend to keep them, you know, keep the politics the geopolitical concerns that we all have tried to work towards to keep our citizens and our cities together because we do operate as one?”

Mayor Gutierrez said he has had some open conversations with College Station leaders and believes these will continue as the cities work to find a solution.

Milynda Hallermann, a resident of Rosemary Drive says she hopes that the solution has nothing to do with her neighborhood.

“College Station City Council is a constant drumbeat of Lee Ave, Pershing Dr, Munson Ave, all of these beautiful historic areas that they have and how important it is to protect them. So, what we’re asking is that they give us the same courtesy and consideration and value our historic neighborhoods as much as they value their own,” Hallermann said.

The Bryan City Council pressed its City Manager, Kean Register, and Director of Public Works, Jayson Barfnecht, about how they would approach a similar proposal. Both said if the shoe was on the other foot, they would have hesitations pushing so hard for the Rosemary options.

While they acknowledged this could be the cheapest way, there were other factors that need to be weighed.

“If this thing was happening on Lee Persian Walton, we would be in the same situation. I don’t think that we would ever as the city of Bryan, I know not certainly not on my watch would I ever consider that. Dr. Barfnecht, Kean, I would hope you would never bring us anything like this that would put us having to make these moral decisions?” Mayor Guiterrez asked.

“Already know I’m not going to do that,” Register, said.

Texas A&M leaders have confirmed they have discussed the project with both cities and have offered to be helpful as they work towards a solution. But, they said A&M has not offered to pay for a lift station.

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