Changes to Munson’s 208 Plan May Involve Golf Course
Construction of a new sewer plant to deal with septic issues of more than 100 homes in the Berkshire Heights subdivision may lead to a new 208 plan in Munson Township.
Construction of a new sewer plant to deal with septic issues of more than 100 homes in the Berkshire Heights subdivision may lead to a new 208 plan in Munson Township.
Attorney Todd Petersen attended the Munson Township Trustees meeting July 11 to urge them to set a meeting of interested parties in light of a letter he sent the board on June 29 regarding an amendment to the Munson Township 208 Plan for sewage and water.
Petersen, representing the owners of Legend Lake Golf Course, said in the letter he has met with Geauga County officials to come up with a plan “…that might allow the plant to be installed at a lower cost to the serviced homes and to operate at greater efficiency.”
The golf course is likely to be involved in the project. His clients are interested in tying all 19 parcels of the course into the proposed wastewater treatment system, he wrote. The course comprises more than 250 acres,
“I want you to understand we are not proposing the immediate development of the property, nor are we proposing tip-to-tail, high-density development of the property,” Petersen wrote.
However, since the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency has put the county under mandate to put in the new wastewater treatment plant and provide tie in by 2020, his client is hoping to meet with township and county officials on the matter, he said.
According to his letter, the homes involved are in the area of Thwing, Henning, Helmut and Olmar drives.
Geauga County Department of Water Resources Director Gerry Morgan said the average value of the homes in that area is $130,000. The initial estimate of the cost of the plant is $3.6 million, so homeowners could be assessed $28,000 to $30,000 each to pay for the construction, which is excessive, he said.
Morgan’s search for funding sources has not been promising so far, since the trend is to fund townships or a census block of properties rather than a subdivision, he said.
The OEPA notified the county in 2015 it has five years to complete the facility, so construction should start in 2018, Morgan said.
“We’re looking to keep the cost down for residents,” he said.
One option is to amend the Munson Township 208 Plan to include Legend Lakes Golf Course. The owners of the course originally wanted to tie in the golf club building to the system and offered to have the facility built on property owned by LLGC, Morgan said.
“They have no intention of doing a (development) project now. They’re just getting their ducks in a row,” he said.
If the owners want to build homes around the course in 10 or 15 years, they will be set up for sewer lines.
Trustees set a special meeting for 6:30 p.m. July 18 at Munson Township Community Center for further discussion.
In other business, Munson Fire Chief Mark Lynn told trustees he was chosen to be secretary of the Northeast Ohio Fire Chief’s Association.
The association meets monthly and most of its membership hales from Cuyahoga County. Geauga County has only three full-time fire chiefs, Lynn said.
