So close, and yet so far

The council faces a conundrum with a parcel of land under development at the east end of town. City rules don’t allow for a lot within reach of a sewer line to have a septic tank, but this particular lot sits at an elevation that makes it tough to tap in at the available connection point.

Heith Waddell, who is currently constructing a garage on the Cleveland St. property, told the council on Tuesday that he had stopped the installation of his planned septic tank upon hearing about the dilemma.

“People are unimpressed with my ideas, so I said, well that’s pretty easy, I’ll just take it out,” he remarked jovially.

Waddell asked the council to table the issue to give him time to visit with Public Works Director Mac Erickson and look for solutions to the problem. The land in question grades three quarters to an inch per foot, he said, so there is a 15-foot gain to get up to the sewer line.

Erickson stated that he is with Waddell on finding the best option, telling the council that there is sewer on the west side of 11th St., but it’s only at a seven-foot depth at best. The issue will be figuring out how to pump uphill into a gravity main.

The next best alternative is the sewer line on Main, he said, but it’s a lot further away and still only at a five-foot depth.

“I really don’t want something that’s cost-prohibitive,” was Waddell’s only caution.

Mayor Paul Brooks noted that this isn’t the first time the sewer issue has stumped potential developers on that lot. Years ago, he said, there were plans to build a strip mall at the location, but the lack of sewer availability killed the project and the lot has been vacant ever since.

In the audience for the discussion were County Attorney Joe Baron and Planning Director Tim Lyons, there to provide information on the legalities of septic systems in town.

The county is the permitting agency countywide, said Lyons, and therefore would need to provide the permit for a septic system even within city limits.

However, explained Baron, the city already has an ordinance in place that clearly states that a lot may not have a septic system if it is within 200 feet of a sewer line. If it is not, the applicant must get a Department of Environmental Quality permit for a septic tank.

If the city is not informing developers of this, Baron said, it should probably do so.

“If people know it ahead of time, it’s just easier,” he said.

Lyons further explained that, because this lot is within 200 feet of the line, he cannot issue a permit for a septic system unless the city grants a variance.

“I want you to understand the position we’re in,” he said. “We’re kind of stuck here.”

With this in mind, Erickson and city engineers Trihydro were asked to work with Waddell to seek a solution that will allow construction to continue.

“We’ll move forward and we’ll figure this thing out,” said Brooks.