Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Wastewater And Housing topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Jericho explores municipal septic system for Riverside to unlock denser, affordable housing
Summary
Peter Booth told the Jericho DEI Committee the Riverside municipal septic project is at 60% design, with a 90% package expected in July; the town plans to pursue state CHIP funding, federal grants and town bonds while the committee raised capacity, design and public-engagement concerns.
Peter Booth, presenting for the Wastewater Task Force, told the Jericho Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee on June 1 that the town's proposed municipal septic system for the Riverside area is in the 60% engineering phase and that a 90% design report is expected in July. The Select Board has chosen a phased approach centered on the Browns River Middle School property rather than building the system all at once, and final capacity figures will be set at the next project meeting.
Booth said the system would be largely underground and landscaped so it would resemble grassy fields, and he suggested it could raise field levels at nearby school property rather than imposing visible infrastructure. He said the project team has engaged stakeholders including Old Mill Properties and the school district to understand needs and potential benefits.
On financing, Booth identified the state Community Housing Infrastructure Program (CHIP) — described in committee materials as a major source with $2 billion allocated over 10 years for dense housing — as a key funding opportunity, alongside federal grants and, if necessary, town bonds. He said the town plans to charge user fees for properties that connect to the system and noted potential phased expansion, including use of nearby privately owned land identified by the project team.
Committee members pressed on capacity and development type. Materials discussed a notional 230–320 households for the Riverside area, but members and Booth agreed that physical constraints, existing septic systems, and roughly 16 acres likely limit buildout. Booth recommended focusing on higher-density housing types — duplexes, fourplexes and small apartments — and noted accessory dwelling units and other infill could add housing beyond the Riverside Triangle. Robert (a committee member) emphasized the need for affordable units for young adults priced out of rentals.
The group also discussed how the proposal is presented to residents. Wendy suggested using images of smaller, walkable designs to address concerns that infrastructure would enable only large, expensive single-family homes. Beth recommended consulting towns such as Westford for lessons learned and specifically suggested connecting the project team with Eric Ford. Other next steps included obtaining better capacity estimates, consulting the Department of Environmental Conservation about Browns River disposal, expanding public engagement, and advancing the PER (preliminary engineering report) expected in July.
The project remains at the design-and-study stage; the committee did not make any formal funding commitments at the meeting. The next procedural milestone is the 90% design package due in July and subsequent Select Board review.
