By Hayleigh Gowans

Staff Writer

Residents and business owners who live on Wilbur and Galster roads in East Syracuse soon may have access to the municipal sewer line, following the town board’s recent approval to put out contracts to begin the project.

“For how commercial that area is, you would never believe that they weren’t hooked up to the sewer line,” Town Supervisor Ed Michalenko said at the Sept. 26 board meeting, where a public hearing on the matter was held.

The new sewer district would expand to include Wilbur and Galster roads, which are south off of Route 290 just east of the Walmart Superstore.

According to the estimated costs, the new sewer district could cost the 25 property owners in the area about $2,500 per parcel per year when the project first starts. Michalenko said the town would look to see if there were any state programs that might be able to help offset this high cost.

“The fact that this is not a dense area, the economics of scale work against us,” said Michalenko. The town decided to look into this matter because of complaints of residents and business owners in that area, Michalenko said.

“I don’t like the price of it, but I am in favor of it,” said a business owner at the public hearing.

Town Attorney David Herkala said the town is waiting to hear from the New York State Comptroller, who must review the proposed project because of the high cost to residents. The town board voted unanimously to authorize the town engineer to prepare a bid package for the project.

Michalenko also said he would like the town engineer to look at a map of these areas without sewer service so the town can assess what areas they may want to expand the system to.