Twp. green lights designing new M-24 sewer line to handle future growth

A proposed 117-bed hospital, along with other anticipated growth along the M-24 corridor north of the village, had the Oxford Township Board talking sewage last week.

Officials voted 7-0 to have engineering design plans drawn up for the option of installing a new sanitary sewer line in conjunction with the M-24 reconstruction project next year. It’s estimated the design will cost $54,700.

The proposed 7,400-foot sewer line would run along M-24 between Gateway Dr. north of the village and Oakdell Rd. south of the village. Right now, it’s expected to be 18 inches in diameter, but, according to township engineer Jim Sharpe, the size could decrease.

Using a “rough estimate” of $100 per foot, Sharpe told officials it could cost approximately $740,000 to install the line.

Handling the wave of development that’s expected to hit M-24 in the coming years would be the new line’s primary purpose.

That growth includes Beaumont’s desire to construct a $140 million, 225,000-square-foot hospital on a 25-acre parcel located on the east side of M-24, just south of E. Market St. and just north of the village limits. Beaumont has applied for a certificate of need (CON) from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services to build a hospital there.

It also includes the potential commercial development of 53.25 acres located at the northeast corner of M-24 and Ray Rd. The land is owned by the Edward C. Levy Company.

A new sewer line is needed to accommodate such developments due to the lack of capacity with the existing infrastructure.

According to Sharpe, the township has agreements in place to allow sewage from certain township properties to pass through the village system.

However, given the amount of sewer capacity that’s currently being utilized, plus what’s already been allocated for the future development of some vacant parcels along M-24 in the township, Sharpe said, “We just don’t have enough capacity going through the village’s system . . . to accommodate (Beaumont) should it move forward.”

“We only have so much capacity,” he told the board.

The alternative is to go around the village by building more pump stations that would send sewage to lines located east and west of the municipality. Ultimately, all of the waste produced in Oxford “works its way down to Indian Lake Rd. and M-24,” Sharpe noted.

But, Trustee Jack Curtis believes these pump stations are nothing but “liabilities.”

“Sure, the developer puts them in, but the township is responsible (for maintaining them),” he said.

According to figures provided by the Oakland County Water Resources Commissioner’s (WRC) Office, a total of $180,324 was spent maintaining township pump stations in 2018. For 2019, the WRC budgeted $171,800 and its forecasting a need for $206,100 next year.

To Curtis, the proposed sanitary sewer line is about preparing for the future and preventing the township from incurring any more financial liability.

Curtis noted that a Beaumont representative told him that if the health system doesn’t obtain a CON or if other health systems mount legal challenges to its plan, Beaumont is still prepared to build a facility on the 25-acre Oxford site. He said it would offer outpatient, or ambulatory, surgery, plus urgent care.

“They are coming,” Curtis said.

Treasurer Joe Ferrari thought the sewer line was a good idea because it could give residents in the older Brabb-Dewey subdivision by Stony Lake a way to hook up to the township sewer system should their individual septic systems begin to fail at some point.

“We’ve got to be ready to act,” he said.

In order to make this proposed sewer line a reality, the township is required by state law to obtain approval from the village. The village council was expected to address the issue at its May 14 meeting.

Sharpe noted “the village (sewer) system will not be connected to this” new line.

“It’s just a straight-through pipe from the north side of the village to the south side of the village,” he said.

He also made it clear that “all the costs (for it) would be borne by the township.”

“The village wouldn’t have any financial obligations (associated with) it,” Sharpe said.

 

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