The North Bay chamber of commerce wants city council to move ahead with the ski hill sewer trunk line extension. Directors unanimously approved the resolution after hearing from businessmen Rick Miller and Renzo Silveri at a board meeting Thursday night.
Silveri says building the $4.2 million sewer extension opens the doors to building 2,000 homes over the years. He says council can get the money for the line with a low interest loan.
Silveri says because the City has a $10,000 development charge per lot, council recovers the cost of the sewer line after about 400 lots are sold. On top of that, the City stands to collect about $3.2 million in taxes from these 400 homes each year.
Silveri says it means there’s a lot to lose if council stands still. He says the City loses the residential tax potential plus the people who want to build on the hill will find other communities to move to.
Silveri is hopeful that the majority of councillors approve the trunk line early in the New Year. Meanwhile, Miller says the new line would replace a 30-year-old pump house which is now at the end of its life.
He says upgrading the pump house will cost about $300,000 to $500,000 but stresses that’s wasted money if in a few years city council decides to go ahead with the sewer extension. Miller says the proposed line is virtually maintenance free, is gravity fed and would have a life span of 75 years.
Miller also says the lack of a new line is hampering current and future development in the hill area.
