Plans to extend a township water main along M-24, north of the village, will lead to a change in water systems for four businesses and additional customers to help pay off the township’s massive bond debt.
‘I think it would be prudent for us to go ahead with this project,? said Supervisor Bill Dunn.
Officials last week voted 5-2 to extend a 12-inch water main about 500 feet south of W. Market St., along the west side of M-24, to hook up with an existing village main just north of Kalloway’s Restaurant and Pub.
The $129,000 project will enable the township to provide its water to the four businesses ? Kalloway’s, Oxford Bank Operations Center, Flagstar Bank and POH Medical Center ? currently receiving village water.
‘We do have an agreement with the village that at such time (as) we have water in front of those buildings, we can hook them up ? they will be our customers,? Dunn explained.
Financing for the project will be derived from the township’s water fund, which consists of monies from usage and tap feeds.
The township had originally planned to do the project as part of its many water system improvements for which the municipality incurred $10.7 million worth of bond debt.
Although the township was authorized to incur up to $17.7 million in bond debt for their water projects, officials feared, given the poor economy and severe drop in new home construction, it would be a struggle just to pay off the $10.7 million, so they shelved some projects including the main extension north of town.
But Dunn became concerned that if the township didn’t extend the main and provide water to that area soon, the village would reap the benefits of any new development there.
That development includes the Goddard School, a proposed one-story, 8,000-square-foot child care center on a parcel just west of the Flagstar Bank and accessible through Gateway Drive, a private road. Goddard is currently making its way through the site plan approval process.
‘If it goes the way it is right now, the Goddard School would go to the village (water system),? Dunn said.
Plans to expand the POH Medical Center to a two-story building with up to 60,000 square feet were also a factor in the decision.
Trustee Pat Fitchena noted she’s heard from a ‘pretty good source? a commercial building that would be ‘a very heavy water user? is considering buying the vacant parcel between Kalloway’s and the Oxford Bank Operations Center.
Treasurer Joe Ferrari commended Dunn’s ‘forward thinking? and favored the main extension as a way to add more customers to the township water system.
‘With the economy being as slow as it is and us possibly struggling with our water bond debt payments in years to come, this is a great way for us to expend a little amount of money and in the future get quite a few taps to help pay off those water bonds,? he said.
Township Engineer Jim Sharpe, of Giffels-Webster Engineers, said the entire project, from start to finish, should take about three weeks, but actual construction ‘shouldn’t take more than a week.? Design work for the project was previously completed and ‘all the permits are in place.?
Because the new township main would be hooked up to the existing village main that currently services the west side of M-24, Dunn said, ‘All the customers would have to do would be to put in the new meter.?
The existing village water main will not be cut and capped at the village/township boundary line. Instead a system of dual locking gate valves will be installed so that each community can provide the other with water in case of an emergency. The village’s gate valve is already in place, according to Sharpe.
Each community would have a key to their respective gate valve and it would take agreement from both governments to open both, enabling water to flow through. The village council agreed to the emergency connection proposal in a 3-2 vote at its July 11, 2006 meeting.