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The Lansing Sewer Committee looked at three scenarios Wednesday that may determine the cost of sewer for residents within the proposed district.  Committee member Andy Sciarabba says the annual cost needs to be in the high 500s to low 600s range to make it affordable to residents within the proposed district.  The project is estimated at $9,750,835, including a sewage treatment plant to be located near Portland Point.

In the best case scenario sewer could cost as little as $385 in the first year, slowly rising to $775 over 30 years.  That includes both the annual fee to pay construction costs and an operation and maintenance (O&M) fee.  Sciarabba says the O&M fee would be lower in the early years when the system is new because it will be less likely to need repairs.

That scenario assumes a 1% interest rate and a commitment from the Town to pay for vacant land in the Town Center area.  It also includes units that don't currently exist, but are proposed for areas within the sewer district, including in the Town Center land across the street from Lansing Town Hall.  The committee looked at two other scenarios that assume a higher interest rate, or without proposed units and the vacant land.

Two grants could further reduce the sewer cost if the Town is successful in obtaining them.  The committee is pursuing a grant to help residents offset the cost of hooking up to the sewer, and a second grant could reduce the cost of construction.  Next week Governor Andrew Cuomo is expected to announce round two of regional development allocation dollars.  Sciarabba says Tompkins County Area Development President Michael Stamm is poised to help the town apply for three million dollars in grant money for the Lansing sewer.  If successful the grant would cut the annual cost per unit, not counting O&M costs, by about a third.

Sciarabba says he thinks the project has a good chance of success.

"It meets a lot of objectives," he says.  "It provides needed housing in the community, it will create a lot of jobs.  It has an industrial component.  it's in accordance with the County's comprehensive plan and our own comprehensive plan.  It's got a lot of positive things."

Committee members concede that many variables could impact the numbers they are considering, including variable interest rates and availability of funding.  But they are working on getting an as accurate an idea of costs as possible before presenting the project to the public.

Sciarabba said the committee is trying to get everything ready so that construction can begin next Spring if the district is approved.  He met with NYSEG to begin to talk about what will be needed to service the new town center.  Town officials are beginning to strategize on how to guide and facilitate construction of projects in the Town Center.

Lansing Supervisor Kathy Miller says that the Town should invest in the project by paying Equivalent Dwelling unity (EDU) fees on vacant land and building the main roads in the town center.

"I went to the Planning Federation a couple of weeks ago.  One of the things they stressed is that towns that are being successful with development are investing their own money in ways like this and in infrastructure," Miller said.  "They're recouping it in the end, but they are investing up front.  If you are not willing to do this developers are not going to want to work with you."

Miller says that while the sewer is paid for exclusively by property owners within the district, it will benefit the entire town by providing housing, jobs, an attractive center for the community, and attracting businesses that will help bring down taxes for individual homeowners.  She says these benefits justify town investment in roads and infrastructure and stresses that the money will be more than recouped when the land is sold to developers.

"We anticipate getting around $100,000 a year in new sales tax from BJ's," she added.  "I wouldn't call it a windfall, but why not use it to help bring sewer to the Town?"

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