S&W request from Plymouth/Met Council SAC/Agreement with Plymouth

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. � REQUEST FOR COUNCIL ACTION DATE: February 22, 1999 ITEM NO.: Department Approval: Administrator Reviewed: Agenda Section: Name Gregory A. Gappa Admuustrator's Report Title Director of Public Services Item Description: Request for Sewer St. Edwards Church, 865 North Ferndale Road We have received a written request from St. Edward's Church on North Ferndale Road to connect to the City of Plymouth sanitary sewer system. The church has a noncompliant septic system. The system is noncompliant because of the high water table. The available area on the lot for a new system is limited, and Steve Weckman has suggested that the very high water table will make the installation of a replacement septic system difficult. The church is in the two acre rural residential zone and is outside the Orono MUSA. The closest MUSA area is the Chevy Chase neighborhood to south along North Ferndale Road. The City of Plymouth MUSA is directly across North Ferndale Road form the church property. In the recent MUSA expansions for the ten neighborhoods, the Metropolitan Council granted the City fifty sewer units that could be used for future connections of existing developed properties that are adjacent to existing sewer lines. Four of these connection units were used to connect existing homes, along North Brown Road, with noncompliant septic systems to the Long Lake Country Club sewer project. These homes are on smaller lots with limited possibilities for replacement septic systems. The Council recently authorized the connection of the Woodlands Group home to City sewer because of problems with septic system operation caused by the unique characteristics of the group home. The Council also authorized connection to sewer for Trinity Lutheran Church together with the Woodlands group home connection. Septic systems for nonresidential uses, such as churches, can be problematic because of the widely varying wastewater flows. Septic systems function better with uniform flow conditions. There are only several existing nonresidential uses in the rural areas outside the MUSA line that may require sewer. Besides Trinity Lutheran and St. Edward's Church, the only other church close to existing sewer is the New Life Church on Leaf Street. Providing sewer to these nonresidential facilities should not greatly affect the City's comprehensive sewer policy.