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Highway roadwork connects sewer to Richardson project

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Accurate Underground and Grading of Ramona installs a sewer line along state Route 78 for Richardsons Recycling Center, which is undergoing a capital improvement project on A Street. Sentinel photo/Karen Brainard

By Karen Brainard

Road lanes have been blocked off on state Route 78 near A and B streets while crews work on digging and installing a sewer line for Richardson Recycling Center.

A crew member said they are about two weeks into the four-week project.

Located at 1018 A St., Richardson Recycling has been undergoing a capital improvement project that began about three years ago and will include a nearly 8,000-square-foot building.

Project Manager Steve Powell of Ramona said the recycling center property was not hooked to sewer or to water. As a condition of the project, Powell said, the county and the Ramona water district required the Richardsons to add a sewer line that will run approximately 200 feet on Route 78 and 300 feet on A Street.

Powell said the Richardsons will also add a water line to tap into a line that runs near the front of the property.

Once the lines are installed and he receives clearance from the Ramona Municipal Water District, Powell said he will be able to go for a building permit from the county.

Just the physical work of adding the sewer line and obtaining the permits for it will cost the Richardsons “north of $150,000,” said Powell.

Accurate Underground and Grading, a Ramona company, was hired for the job.

Because a portion of the line is being installed along a state highway, Powell said the Richardsons needed approval from the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans).

“They’ve got a capital improvement project on a state highway,” noted Powell.

Richardson has been in the recycling business on A Street for 22 years.

The capital improvement project is the result of some code enforcement issues brought forth by the county about six

years ago, said Powell.

“They’ve infused hundreds of thousands of dollars into this project,” said Powell. “It’s been an absolute science project just to get the financing together. The Richardsons have been unbelievably pliable in this...They are very fair, very nice people.”

Powell also serves as the general contractor for the recycling center project through his company, Woodcrest Homes Inc.

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