Marlboro sewer project not a done deal

For the last few years, people on Sudbury Street in Marlboro I live nearby have been talking about a big project that would install a sewer system, fix broken water lines and repair the street and install sidewalks. The total cost and scope is a bit unclear, somewhere between $14 million and $18 million. And its approval going into a March 26 meeting of Marlboros 11-person City Council hinges on one or two votes that are up for grabs.

This project was first proposed in 1997, to address two problems. Sudbury Street is a very narrow and hilly street with a speed limit of 25 mph. But commuters speed down the street at 40 mph, on their way to Route 20 a shortcut to Route 128 and the Mass Pike. Add in the big trucks that use Sudbury Street to deliver their loads, and you get potholes and danger for those who want to go for a walk.

Many of the houses on the street were built in the 1960s, and their septic systems are starting to fail. When they do, residents may fork over up to $50,000 to replace them. The proposed project would allow those who have not yet been forced to replace their systems to hook up to the new sewer line for a connection fee of as much as $5,000, plus $484 annually a relative bargain compared to a whole new septic system, though far more than the $200 cost of pumping their septic tanks out every few years.

The proposed project would be very disruptive to people who drive through or live on Sudbury Street. Thats because the project calls for digging up Sudbury Street, shutting it down to traffic. There would be other problems, such as construction noise, as well as the possible loss of water, electricity and cable service during the process.

In a March 5 meeting of the five-member Marlboro Finance Committee, a motion to advertise a bond proposal to finance part of the project was approved in a 3-2 vote. Mark Oram, a councilor-at-large who voted for the project, told me in a March 11 interview that he favored the project because residents wanted it, and despite the high capital expenditures involved, the citys excellent bond rating a March 5 Standard & Poors report gave the citys general obligation debt a AA+ long-term rating would finance the project at a low interest rate.

Katie Robie, a new councilor, was being courted for her vote going into the March 26 City Council vote on whether to advertise the $14 million project. Ms. Robie pointed out that eight votes are needed to pass, and on March 11 she thought that six councilors would vote in favor.

Ms. Robie appeared to be weighing the additional costs of the project against the need to fix Sudbury Street and provide residents with a cheaper way to process their waste.

Ms. Robie estimates the project cost at $14 million including $4 million for the street construction with $300,000 for street design, $5 million for sewer construction and $2.2 million for the water project. Bond duration would vary by sub-project: street construction (10 years), sewer (30) and water (40).

Then there is the cost to individual taxpayers. She said that estimates were $162 more in annual taxes for Marlboro residents for all the various construction projects in the city $70 of which would be for the Sudbury Street project.

Mike Ossing, chairman of the Finance Committee, voted against the proposal. On March 11, he said that he thinks the project will cost $18 million, and he does not know how much for each sub-project. Due to Marlboros many other projects, he does not think now is the time to do the Sudbury Street one.

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Marlboro sewer project not a done deal