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Developer proposes sewer service for 28-acre Anderson Road site to enable villa-style homes
Summary
A developer outlined a concept to connect a 28-acre parcel on Anderson Road to the district sewer system, saying the site’s high groundwater makes conventional septic unworkable and could support roughly 102–152 bedroom units if capacity exists.
Tim Sailor, a representative of Innovative Communities, asked the Saint Joseph County Regional Water and Sewer District on March (date not specified) to consider providing sanitary sewer service to a 28-acre parcel on the south side of Anderson Road that he said is unsuitable for conventional septic systems.
Sailor said the property, located just under a mile east of Bittersweet, has a relatively high groundwater table and “is not suitable for conventional septic systems.” He described a proposed “villa-type” development of predominantly two-bedroom units intended for empty-nester buyers and estimated the 28 acres could support the equivalent of about 102 bedroom units; adding an adjacent 15 acres could raise the planning capacity to roughly 152 bedroom units.
The district’s representatives described the next steps for any developer seeking service. A district official explained that applicants must submit a plan and deposits for the district engineer’s review, and the engineer will evaluate available discharge capacity and report how requested capacity would fit among existing commitments. The official emphasized that the district must confirm available capacity before committing to serve a project.
Sailor offered a rough cost and construction estimate, saying the project would likely require about 1 to 1.5 miles of force main and a relatively small-diameter directional drill if permitted. District staff replied that, beyond constructing and funding the pipe, the critical hurdle is whether the district has capacity to accept additional flow.
Sailor also said the property appears to be inside the district boundary, which the district noted would simplify the process because expanding the district is a more substantial undertaking.
The board advised Sailor to submit the formal application materials and engineering information so staff and the district engineer could review capacity and provide a determination. Sailor left contact information and said he would follow up by email.
Ending: The board did not take any formal action at the meeting. District staff said the project will proceed through the district’s standard review and capacity-evaluation process once the developer submits the application and engineering materials.
