- By Dan Veaner
- News
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Mayor Hartill said, "We're probing some creative way to get around the problems on Route 34." He suggested a number of ideas for keeping the cost of an Route 34 sewer line under control, but Mr. Putnam explained why they were not feasible. For example, changing the design of a pumping station had some promise, but separating the well from the pump is problematic.
Tob de Boer, of Cayuga Heights Road, told the Trustees that he thought that Route B, through the old Ithaca/Auburn Short Line Railroad Bed is the best choice. But he acknowledged problems, because it cuts through many homeowners' private property. He cited Route C, along Route 34, as his second choice.
Mr. de Boer expressed concern about a pressurized system failing and pushing effluent into a neighborhood before it could be repaired. Village engineer Dave Putnam noted that sewer systems are pressurized as high as 40 psi, so it is not a major problem. But the larger concern about how much access space must be carved out for a sewer line so that maintenance crews could service it. This seems to be the number one concern of homeowners who live along the railroad bed.
There are several reasons that Town engineers have said Route 34 will cost more. First, the Department of Transportation (DOT) has special rules for doing road work on a State road. Work hours are curtailed, and the road must be cleaned up and construction equipment removed every day. This adds to the amount of time it takes to complete a project, and thus raises the cost considerably in manpower and wages.
Second, because the treatment plant is on the cliff above Route 34, and because there is actually a dip in the road, at least one pumping station would be needed. To date nobody has located a spot along the route where such a pumping station could go. Existing rights of way and private property limit possible locations.
Third, the route would require a forced main system that is pressurized and requires more maintenance, because of the pumping station and the pressurized line. The Cayuga Heights Rd. route shares this requirement.
However the Mayor firmly stated that creative solutions and negotiations with the DOT could bring costs down. He wants at least a "thumbnail" engineering report prepared before the end of the year that supports Route 34 as a feasible route. The Trustees agreed this report is needed, because the Town has said they feel they have paid enough for engineering studies already. Those studies support the railroad bed route.
While Town engineers have estimated about three quarters of a million dollars difference between the cost of Route B and the other routes, Mr. Hartill said that he questions the disparity. The Village favors Route 34, but because it is a State road the route has special problems. He also questioned how hard and fast the DOT's rules for closing the road will be, noting they closed Route 34 south of Searles/East Lansing Roads for about three months to replace a bridge earlier this year. Even so the Trustees acknowledged that the area in question for the sewer project is more vital to emergency vehicles than the more northern section of Route 34.
It is important to note that the Village has not made it's decision yet, and that the issues reported here are still under consideration. The "thumbnail" engineering report could change the Trustees' preference, and they are seriously considering residents' input. While Route 34 seems to be favored, the final choice has yet to be made.
Mayor Hartill reiterated that he wants to protect his good working relationship with Town Supervisor Stephen Farkas and the Town government in general. He is determined to communicate the Village's choice to the Town by the end of this year, as promised. The Town, for its part, has expressed a preference to come to agreement with the Village if possible, though Town officials can just choose a route, no matter what the Village prefers. At this point both governments are hoping for a mutually beneficial resolution, as hard as that might be.
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