- By Dan Veaner
- News
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The trunk line will go down Cayuga Heights Road
Engineer Jim Blum presented the committee with an inch thick draft wastewater facilities report. The report summarizes the committee's work so far, including descriptions of the trunk line, pumping stations and collection system. It covers estimated project quantities and probable costs, and touches on additional sources of funding the Town is pursuing. It also summarizes how Equivalent Dwelling Units (EDUs) were determined and outlines the district and the initial service area. The report includes maps and charts defining the project. A final version will be presented to the Town Board on August 19th for action once the draft has been amended by committee members.
Included in the report is a breakdown of residential and vacant lots in the proposed sewer district, sorted by acreage. The district currently includes 1,770 properties, 1,330 of them residential. The initial service area will service 619 of those properties, including 447 residential properties. The plan covers the committee's choices without going into detail about other alternatives that have been considered over the years. However, it references earlier studies and documents in explaining how the Town came to its decisions about implementing the sewer.
The Village and Town agreed to develop a memo of understanding about the part of the sewer that goes through the Village. Hartill said the Village would develop a first draft of the agreement that will address concerns the Village has expressed about quality of work and materials, odor control and which municipality owns that length of sewer for the purposes of maintenance. The memo will also address the Village's portion of the project, determining the percentage of Village use of the system and what they will contribute to its construction in consequence.
Andy Sciarabba outlined his and Noel Desch's efforts at getting private donations to offset the per-unit annual cost of the project. Their goal is to bring the cost per EDU down from around $740 to $550 annually. Sciarabba said that they have been focusing on the County from which they hope to get a $3 million contribution. The rationale revolves around the County's desire to add about 3,500 new homes over the next ten years. Sciarabba says that the breakdown would only require the County to commit a maximum of $150,000 per year in the initial years, with descending payments as growth in the Town increases. He says the investment would be more than repaid in new tax revenue.
Between the sewer and zoning changes the Town is considering the County stands to make $4.7 million in new taxes over the next 15 years, according to Sciarabba, who says other towns would have more trouble attracting the volume of new growth the County needs. "We don't have that issue," he said. "We are ideal." Councilwoman Connie Wilcox said, "The County has asked us to change our zoning to make it more friendly to density. So the County should step up to the plate."
Once the plan has been presented to the Town Board public meetings will be scheduled. Blum suggested a fact sheet be mailed to all residents within the district to make sure that facts are not confused with rumors. Desch suggested an outreach program that would include a mailing, phone calls and meetings to explain the benefits of the project and the facts about its construction and cost. "The worst thing would be if a group of residents weren't contacted and misinformation started spreading," he said.
Next steps are to revise the draft report and continue pursuing private donations in preparation for the Board's August meeting. Sciarabba and Desch plan to meet with potential donors, including County officials. Meanwhile engineering continues to bring the project closer to realization.
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