Developer Frank Brock said he has started constructing roads at his Brow Wood development on Lookout Mountain, and he apparently will initially use Lookout Mountain, Ga., sewers.
Lookout officials said Thursday night they plan to spend up to $20,000 to purchase and install nine pressure release valves for the sewer system that will increase the flow rate of the system.
They said that will allow it to run much more efficiently and allow for future capacity - including the Brow Wood project south of Covenant College. The council approved the measure.
Mr. Brock said, "We plan to keep the Dade County option available and in the short term use Lookout Mountain."
Covenant College apparently is taking the same course. Mr. Brock said Troy Duble of Covenant has written a letter to officials of the Dade County Water and Wastewater Authority. Mr. Duble did not return a phone call.
That board met on Friday morning, but there was no representative at the meeting from either Brow Wood or Covenant.
Ted Rumley, board chairman, said, "The ball is in their court."
The Brock group as well as Covenant initially discussed building a new sewer line down the mountain to an existing Dade County pump station in Wildwood.
However, Lookout Mountain and Covenant have eight years remaining on a 20-year deal in which Covenant uses the Lookout Mountain sewer line. Bill Pickering, city attorney for Lookout Mountain, said the college is bound by that deal.
Mr. Brock said if Covenant had pulled its sewage from Lookout Mountain it would have meant lost income for the town and likely cause sewer rates to climb for Lookout Mountain, Ga., residents.
A number of home sites as well as an assisted living facility are planned at Brow Wood.