Politics & Government

Council Wrestles With Sewer Issues Present & Future

People on Post Road seek clarification on assessments; questions posed about putting sewers in Wickford.

The Town Council heard from and discussed issues relating to sewer assessments for the section of Post Road that now has sewers, and contemplated where next to go with sewers at its meeting Monday night. 

During a public hearing on sewer assessments for Post Road, David Meegan, a lawyer who owns 7454 Post Road, had several questions. A major concern was the possibility for property owners with more than one building to be stuck with multiple tie-in bills simultaneously. 

"What I ask is that those properties that have more than one lateral going in not be made to install them all at once," he said. 

The cost to tie into the sewer will run into the several thousand.

Sewer assessment bills are slated to go out within the next few months. Sewer bills are coming due, town officials have said, so the assessments must be levied.

The other half of the sewer discussion came later in the meeting, when counciilors took up the question of where to bring sewers next? One idea is to extend them to the northern Post Road area, which would affect mostly businesses.

The other idea would be to bring sewers into Wickford. Both projects would cost in the $10 million range. However, if sewers extend into Wickford, those costs will be borne more on residential users, as opposed to the nearly complete business-filled Post Road North corridor. 

"The cost of this will be prohibitive for the homeowners," said Dan Cushman of Washington Street. "I can't afford it. If that's going to happen, I'm going to have to move."

Cushman argued that he and many of his neighbors had "accectable septic systems."

One idea discussed at the meeting was survey the people of Wickford, to find out what they want. 

While that is right now being done for the residents of Shore Acres, the difference in Wickford is the entire town would be on the hook for any borrowing there, since the line would travel down a main road, just like the sewer line under Post Road. 

What do you think should be done in Wickford? Are sewers the answer?


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