City seeks public feedback on sanitary sewer

The city of Avon will seek public feedback for an upcoming sanitary sewer project for residents on Elizabeth Avenue, Joseph Street, Puth Drive and Detroit Road.

A meeting starts at 7 p.m., Sept. 11, in the Avon High School auditorium, 37545 Detroit Road, to discuss the project options.

The estimated $3.6 million project is expected to begin in April 2020 and will affect about 95 households that may be on the hook for up to $16,000.

The project would be completed in spring 2021 at which point households would be assessed for fees, city officials said.

Affected homeowners also would be required to pay close to $12,000 to connect to the sewer.

In a letter to residents Aug. 6, City Engineer Ryan Cummins said the main focus of the project is to provide sanitary sewer service to the adjacent properties to lessen environmental concerns from existing septic systems in the area.

The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency is mandating the project.

Elizabeth, Puth and Joseph streets will include the installation of new water mains and some drainage improvements.

The city will resurface the roads and will install new turn lanes on Detroit Road between Jaycox and Nagel roads.

Homeowners will be responsible for paying for the upgraded sanitary sewer as assessed by the city and tap-in fees.

The city funds will pay for the water main, drainage work, pavement resurfacing and associated legal costs.

In a meeting of City Council’s Finance Committee on Aug. 5, Cummins presented two options: Option A would assess homeowners based on frontal footage, or the amount of land that touches the portion of the streets being improved at $160 per square foot.

Council President Craig Witherspoon could be impacted by Option A.

Witherspoon, who lives on the corner of Elizabeth and Puth, would be assessed for over $38,000 under the plan.

“Are you suggesting I pay for both sides of my house?” he asked. “Let’s look at Option B.”

Option A would have some variance in assessments with higher fees for corner lots and lower for narrower lots.

The committee and Avon Mayor Bryan Jensen concurred Option B, which calculates the charge to the 95 properties the same assessment of $16,266 is the fairer option.

Jensen said the amount should be lowered to $12,000 and with added tap-in fees, would be close to the same cost of replacing a septic system at around $20,000.

The mayor reiterated that the project was an EPA mandate and the city is required to comply.

“People’s septic systems are failing,” Jensen said.

The city is working to find a solution and is asking for continued patience from residents, he said.

The estimated $3.6 million project is expected to begin in April 2020 and will affect about 95 households that may be on the hook for up to $16,000.