Developer Seeks Final Sewer Approval For Condo Complex

By Andrew Gorosko

Having secured a wide range of approvals from town agencies for his planned 24-unit condominium complex on the west side of Washington Avenue in Sandy Hook Center, local builder/developer Michael Burton is now seeking a final approval from the Water & Sewer Authority (WSA) for sanitary sewer service for the complex.

In February 2008, WSA members had granted Mr Burton preliminary approval for sewer service for The River Walk complex. They then instructed him to obtain project approvals from the various town land use agencies that regulate such development before returning to the WSA to seek a final sewer connection approval.

WSA members are seeking an appraisal of the projected value of the condo complex to aid them in setting the fees to be charged for connecting the condo units to the municipal sewer system. The fees are intended to reflect the increased sale value of condo units based on their access to sanitary sewers.

The WSA would conduct a public hearing on the proposed fees that would be charged to connect the complex to the sewer system. WSA members expect to act on the sewer connection request by April.

Fred Hurley, town director of public works, said the WSA also is seeking a formal recommendation from the town health department on whether the condo units should discharge wastewater into the sewer system or into a large septic field.

The applicant has shown that the site’s physical characteristics would allow a large septic waste disposal system to adequately treat the wastewater discharged from the condos. But as a practical matter in such cases, because the site is in the environmentally sensitive Aquifer Protection District (APD) above the Pootatuck Aquifer, and because the site is adjacent to the sewer system, town officials are inclined to opt for having the wastewater discharged into the sewer system because it is a long-term wastewater disposal solution.

The development project meets all applicable zoning regulations, Mr Hurley noted.

On January 22, the Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z) unanimously approved The River Walk complex for the level, sandy 10.2-acre site at 12 through 20-A Washington Avenue.

Eight of the 24 condo units would be designated as “affordable housing” and be sold to owners or rented to tenants at prices significantly lower than the 16 “market rate” units. Twelve of the units would be for sale, with the other 12 units for rent.

Mr Burton has said he hopes to start construction on the condo complex this summer, provided that suitable financing for the project can be arranged. It would take about two years to build the complex, with its construction proceeding at a pace to meet the demand for dwellings.

To simplify River Walk residents’ access to the Sandy Hook Center business district, plans call for construction of a footbridge across the Pootatuck River that would link the condo site to the business area near 102 Church Hill Road.