Bryan residents continue learning about College Station sewer line options

COLLEGE STATION, Texas (KBTX) - Proposals for a College Station sewer line continue to bring Bryan neighbors out to voice concerns.

On Monday, a little over a dozen residents from Rosemary Drive, Inwood and Vine Streets met with College Station city staff to discuss what this project is all about. Residents on Vine and Inwood Streets say a plan to survey Pin Oak Creek has them concerned.

This creek option for the sewer line is an alternative to the College Station city proposal for the line to go underneath Rosemary Drive. Those residents voiced concerns about the impact on residents and trees in the neighborhood.

But, James Mulvey who lives on Vine Street said the creek option would exacerbate their flooding issues.

Mulvey said the meeting with College Station staff has given him hope that there are alternatives out there.

“Options we’ve heard that will go through the City of Bryan, there’s a lot of issues there. It is really messy and so [it makes me] hopeful to hear that College Station still is open to the lift station and hopefully we’ll learn more about the lift station about the finances behind it,” he said.

The room of Bryan residents did get frustrated when College Station staff said their reasoning for not pushing the lift station was due to cost, and to be good stewards of taxpayer money. Bryan residents pushed back saying this College Station project would negatively impact them without servicing any Bryan residents.

One of the biggest concerns with the creek option was flooding. Brent Keln, who lives on Inwood, says an additional cost to avoid Bryan neighborhoods is not only preferred, but necessary.

“For me at the moment it doesn’t feel like College Station is hearing us and is not working with us to find an option that is not as impactful to the residents. This is going to change their property and change, potentially, their floodplain and that affects their home,” Keln said.

While flooding already happens during large rain storms, Mulvey says he has seen what impact a sewer line in the creek can cause and doesn’t want to see another.

“I think it’s hard to face the fact in a flood-prone neighborhood right in the middle of the FEMA floodway, putting a giant sewer pipe several times through these creeks. I think it’s pretty eye-opening and so I am hopeful that it’s kind of a quick deterrent and that they can explore other options including a lift station,” he said.

College Station staff declined an interview but said they, and representatives with the design engineers, heard concerns and told residents survey work has not been done yet. The survey work will include seeing how deep the sewer line can be, potentially completely under the creek.

The College Station City Council approved funding for more survey work last week, including the Pin Oak Creek option. City staff told the residents the details of what this would look like won’t be ready until summer 2023.

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