The Post-Standard News
Archives

Post-Standard, The (Syracuse, NY)

July 17, 2003
Section: Neighbors West
Edition: Final
Page: 5

WATER DISTRICT PLANS PART WAYS
$15,000 APPROVED TO STUDY TRI-TOWN

LIMELEDGE SEEMS UNAFFORDABLE.


   Sara Errington Staff writer

The proposed tri-town water district took a step forward at the July 14 Marcellus Town

Board meeting and the proposed Limeledge water district took a step back. Board members voted to spend $15,000 on a study for the tri-town water district stretching down Route 174 and on either side of Otisco Lake. Otisco and Spafford, the two other towns involved in the project, have approved similar resolutions.

The money will go to engineers Barton & Loguidice.

"This is for the final stage to get this to a point where they can get money and get this thing going," Supervisor Frank Wilson said.

The money will be reimbursed by water district residents if the project goes through, he said.

Wilson said the proposed Limeledge water district has become unaffordable since the Onondaga County Water Authority can no longer bid out a number of projects each year.

The board agreed to have a public information meeting about the status of the Limeledge district at the Marcellus Fire Station at 7 p.m. Aug. 13 unless the meeting room is unavailable that evening.

"The impact of not being able to use OCWA is fairly simple," Wilson said.

Earlier estimates from OCWA were that the Limeledge district would cost residents about $3.5 million. Now, estimates from Barton & Loguidice are about $5,677,000, he said.

That would cost homeowners about $1,185 per year for 38 years. Even if the town got a $2.5 million grant, it would still cost $760 per year to extend water to 288 properties.

"Neither of those figures is doable," Wilson said.

"Is that a dead issue?" asked Vince Murphy, of Glover Road.

"No. We've got to keep exhausting all the possibilities there are," Wilson said.

Glover said water quality is still a problem for residents in his neighborhood.

"I still have water, but it's very rusty and I'm getting sulfur now," he said, adding that many residents are waiting to see what happens with the district before investing in more equipment for their wells.

In other business

The board voted to offer $160,000 for the Yuhas property, 22 E. Main St., adjacent to the existing town hall.

The resolution is subject to permissive referendum.

The board has for some time looked at ways to expand the town offices and possibly fold the library into a new municipal center.

Copyright, 2003, The Herald Company
Purchased for reprint by the Borodino Bullett.

Top ^