20061901 Ver 1_General Correspondence_20070212 (2)

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8 February 2007 (~-... 1
Hal D. Ammons
48 Rice Cove Rd
Weaverville, NC 28787
Ms Cyndi Karoly
NC Division of Water Quality (NCDWQ)
1650 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699-1650
Subject: US Army Corps of Engineers, Wilmington District, Action ID # 2006-41786-311
As a concerned landowner living below and adjacent to the Versant Properties project, I
would like to express my concerns. The US Army Corps of Engineers permit application
addressed only one sentence for the "tributaries of Herron Cove Creek". A sizable portion of this
project is on the north side of Baird Mountain whose runoff feeds these tributaries. Several of
these tributaries flow through my property into Herron's Cove Creek and then into nearby Reems
creek which is the sole trout stream of the Reems Creek Valley.
Approximately 25 years ago when this same mountain land parcel was logged, my
property and adjacent landowners were overwhelmed with runoff and silt during normal rainfall
periods. The runoff from the mountain can still be extremely heavy even though the woodlands
have experienced re-growth. I am concerned that all the woodland destruction for roads and
housing construction will cause this scenario to be repeated. A vast majority of the runoff from
the roads and silt from construction will travel downhill through my property causing problems
on my farmland and be deposited in Reems Creek. I am also concerned for groundwater
contamination as I and most of the surrounding property owners use natural springs as our water
source. I do not feel the permit has addressed any of these water runoff and contamination issues
for the north side of the mountain.
I am also concerned with the housing density for the proposed project. The north side of
Baird Mountain is extremely steep yet it appears houses will be constructed on the mountainside
as if the land were flat and even denser than the project's southern areas. The proposed
development contains over 40 home sites and over 1.5 miles of roads on the north side of the
mountain. This is entirely too dense for this type of steep land.
There are other mountain developments in the area in which one can see what will be the
outcome of this proposed permit application. Baird Mountain has wild turkey, black bear, deer,
hawks, owls and other species which will no longer have any natural habitat if this project is
approved. Once destroyed, these 397 mountain woodland acres cannot be replaced.
It is very sad that this project is being proposed in this form for the north side of Baird
Mountain. As a concerned citizen and an adjacent property owner, I urge the Department of
Water Quality to disapprove the permit for certification on the north side of the mountain. I
believe the issues concerning runoff and groundwater contamination must be addressed.
Thank you,
al ons
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