Hillsborough is accepting bids for the construction of a sanitary sewer system in the Clarement section of the township. This is good news for the residents of this 1950s era development - and good news for our town.
The simple fact is that individual septic systems for a residential development of many dozens or even hundreds of homes on small lots is not a 21st century solution for the problems of wastewater management. The knowledge that the total $5.5 million price tag for this project will be paid for by the affected homeowners through a special assessment should ease the minds of those who ask why the town should be laying out so much money for a select few.
Homes hooked into the sewer system are immediately worth more than the equivalent home on septic. This benefits the current homeowners, the future homeowners, and - as the value of the property increases - the entire town.
It is not quite true that the homeowners are paying the full freight. The interest for this loan is below market rate. The loan is subsidized by the state. That means that the taxpayers are contributing too.
ReplyDeleteYou can decide that taxpayer subsidization is a good thing or a bad thing, but it is a reality.