Burke sewer limits slow new housing development

Burke County’s push for new housing has been slowed by a pump station that is nearly at capacity, forcing developers to scale back construction on an 85-home project in Icard.

Burke County Commissioners unanimously approved an agreement on Monday that would allow a slower buildout of the 31.6-acre Chestnut Springs housing development.

The project’s timetable has been adjusted into four phases spanning from 2026 to 2029, with only 12 homes built in phase one to avoid overwhelming Burke’s water and sewer system.

Following an asset and inventory analysis on Burke’s water and sewer system, county officials found the Indian Hills pump station is at 93% capacity.

“(It) is a critical resource in the eastern part of Burke County for municipal sewer,” said County Manager Brian Epley. “It is the pump station that really feeds most of the sewer collection to Hickory for treatment.”

Addressing the Indian Hills pump station dilemma could cost up to $10 million and would take about three years for design, permitting, and eventual construction, Epley said. This is a priority, but the project would not be completed quickly enough to match the original development schedule for Chestnut Springs.

In May 2025, Epley told The Paper the county was seeking Hurricane Helene relief funds to help cover at least some of the cost.

The housing development, located at 3637 Miller Bridge Road, was proposed by Pisgah Brothers Developments. The company is co-owned by brothers Scott and Travis Mann, two U.S. Army veterans native to the area.

The Mann brothers have worked on housing developments since 2008, Epley said, and identified a shortage of workforce housing in Burke County. They began planning Chestnut Springs to address that need.

The homes would cost between $250,000 and $300,000, Epley said.