Fact, not Agenda…How water availability and budget
shortfalls have created the perfect storm.
http://www.biscoeforphilomath.com
Since the early 1990s, Philomath residents, Planning
Commissioners and Chamber of Commerce members were sounding the warnings on
limited water resources for Philomath, and urging for sustainable and managed
growth to preserve water for the future residents of Philomath….whether by
neglect or intent, our City leaders have failed to take heed, continuing to
approve tremendous levels of development while limiting budget planning for
needed water infrastructure.
Fast forward to 2018, when the City of Philomath formally
adopted the updated Water System Master Plan.
Already countless development proposals and new development had been
approved over the years, including the massive BLVD apartment complex, with no
water criteria development guidelines established in the Municipal Code to
consider water availability and infrastructure to support these developments
pouring into Philomath.
The most recent and most sizable development proposals, the
Beelart Annexation on No. 12th Street and the Lepman Master Planned
Development were met with testimony after testimony before the City Council,
pleading with them to recognize the peril of the water crisis in Philomath from
the impacts of global climate change, overuse of the Mary’ River, high water
usage developments and expected increased usage of Corvallis’ upstream water
rights.
