Support grows for sewer plan

NORTH CANAAN  — More than 100 people packed the Town Hall meeting room May 13 to informally discuss a proposed sewer extension into Honey Hill and Green Acres, on the west side of town. The decision will be up to residents and property owners in the Canaan Fire District. It won’t be an easy one, judging from the initial public reaction.

But there was at least a clear consensus to move forward.

This project proposal was spurred in part by $4 million or more in federal stimulus money that is expected to pay for half the project. It is likely a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to complete a project that’s been discussed for years — and that isn’t going to get any cheaper as time goes on.

The remainder of the project costs will be paid through taxes assessed to about 178 properties in what would become a new portion of the Fire District.

Quite a few people at the May 13 meeting wanted details pertinent to their own properties. Fire District Warden Anthony Nania promised residents would have a chance to pose their questions to the project engineer after the meeting. The line was long once the 90-minute meeting concluded.

Public hearing, then a vote

The plan is to come back with more answers at a public hearing tentatively set for June 22.

The plan will eventually go to two votes. Residents (including renters) and property owners (of at least $1,000 in assessed value) in the proposed area will decide if they want a sewer or not. Homes there now use septic systems.

Voters in the entire Fire District get to decide if they want to extend the district. At least a two-thirds majority vote of those in attendance is needed for a decision.

“Basically, you have to decide if you want it, and they have to decide if they want you,†Nania said of the homes that would be added to the district.

The project was last proposed 15 years ago. It was far from the first time it had been discussed, but it was shot down by residents who said they feared the cost — and hotly denied the need.

Sewer makes sense to some

The overall tone last week was one of genuine receptiveness. Nania said he had heard from more than a half dozen people whose septic systems are failing, and want sewer service. He spoke of others who described a smell at times in the area that can only be one thing.

Public reaction did not include denials. Nor could anyone argue with Nania’s math. He compared the cost of a new septic system — $30,000 to $50,000 — with the projected average cost of $15,000 to each property owner to invest in a new sewer system.

Even with 20- to 30-year, 4-percent financing as part of the package, it was a hard number to swallow.

And that is not the only cost. As members of the fire district, each property will be taxed at least a little bit, whether they use the sewer or not. Those who do use it will be charged a $256 annual fee.

Residents who have adequate septic service do not have to hook up. But if they do, they must pay the cost of installing a lateral pipe to the main sewer line, estimated at about $1,000 per home. Every effort will be made during the design process to accommodate existing conditions, Nania said.

“We have a survey of where septic pipes come out of houses,†he said. “It’s possible to run a lateral across backyards. We’ve done it before, and there is one place in Green Acres where all the hook ups are at the back of the house.â€

Homeowners would have an opportunity to negotiate with the project contractor to install laterals while they are already on site, providing a potential cost saving. One resident said he would dig his own ditch to save money.

Those who really cannot afford the cost may request a deferral. A lien would require payment at the time the house is sold or inherited.

Nania explained the law does not allow the district to charge project assessments that exceed the increase to the property value as a result of sewer service. There was considerable discussion about how that would be accomplished, without using an expensive individual assessment process. A formula would be applied that includes acreage, frontage and subdivision potential for each property.

‘What do I get out of it?’

One resident, who recently paid $30,000 to replace a failing septic wanted to know why, as one of the few who did the responsible thing, she should have to pay twice.

“What do I get out of it?†she asked

“The answer,†Nania said, is that you have a $30,000 septic to use, and by the time it fails, you will have paid far less than the cost of a new septic and can hook up to the sewer.â€

Anger over poor drainage

The only contentious comment came from Norman Tatsapaugh, a Green Acres resident who also serves on the Planning and Zoning Commission. He spoke about drainage issues he said were not properly addressed throughout the neighborhood.

“You people will not be responsible for that,†he said, addressing Fire District board members.

There was no argument from Nania, who took the opportunity to put it back on the town, and the voters.

“If you don’t return the rascals who are in office now back into office, you will get drainage,â€Nania said. “You need to come out en masse and you will get a response. They will listen to 180 people, or even 100 people.â€

He referred to Selectman Susan Clayton, who attended the meeting as a Green Acres homeowner. Clayton later  invited people to come to meetings of the Board of Selectmen to help her move forward with the drainage issue.

If approved, construction would take place between spring and fall of 2011.

The meeting was filmed by Michael Flint for broadcast on cable TV and as a Web cast. Check CATV6.com for times. DVD copies are available at no charge by calling 860-824-4200.