Water, sewage plans next for complex

Published 12:00 am Thursday, September 7, 2000

As construction crews push forward to build low-income housing apartments on Lawrence Street, city officials are digging up a plan to install the water and sewage infrastructure.

Thursday, September 07, 2000

As construction crews push forward to build low-income housing apartments on Lawrence Street, city officials are digging up a plan to install the water and sewage infrastructure.

Email newsletter signup

Arthur Howard Winer and Associates Inc. is developing and building the complex with the anticipation of completing the project in January 2001.

"The developer has paid the city $120,000 for utility development. Plans have been sent to the EPA (Ohio Environmental Protection Agency) for approval. We are planning to have the city’s water department do the installation. Sewage plans are in the process of being sent out to the EPA."

McCallister said the sewer project will be bid out after the plans have been approved by the EPA.

"It takes about 30 days to get the approval of each plan," he told the committee.

Water installation is anticipated to be completed in October with the sewage system following close behind in December, he said.

"Despite the delay in getting the required approval, our schedule will align with the construction schedule rather well," McCallister said.

Mayor Bob Cleary said plans for utility development on Lawrence Street have been designed to handle future growth.

"The design of the water/sewer (system) plans to be over what we would need to handle the capacities," Cleary said.

McCallister said that while the plans include more than what is needed to accommodate the apartments, they do not exceed what the EPA will allow.

"Basically, what we have done is designed the system in such a way that it can handle future growth without exceeding what the EPA will allow us to install," he said. "The only thing we will need to change in the future to allow this system to handle more capacity are the actual pumps in the sub-stations that handle the flows."

The water pressure can be expected to remain consistent should any additional changes in growth occur, McCallister added.

Cleary said future growth is possible after recent discussions with residents near the apartments, who are interested in city services.

"The city has been talking to surrounding residents about the possibility of annexing their property into the city," he said. "Several of the residents have indicated some interest in annexation. They’ve indicated that they would like to have the sewage and water services, but they have not given us a definite answer as of yet."

City officials also say a portion of U.S. 52 previously annexed into the city should be detached from the city because it poses potential future financial burdens for the city.

"Any roadway that passes through the municipality has to be co-maintained with the agency responsible for it," McCallister said. "We have to pay 20 percent of any maintenance project that occurs. We also have to pay for the engineering."

Cleary said detaching the small portion of land would reduce the liability and obligations of maintaining the two bridges in the area.

"It is redundant to keep this small portion of land," McCallister said.