Sewer district to proceed on 20th Street despite limited support

Despite the support of only about 30 percent of the owners of the 74 properties around the planned Southeast 20th Street sewer system construction, the Sammamish Plateau Water and Sewer District will go ahead with the project anyway.

Officials from the sewer district had said recently that they hoped to secure the commitment of at least 50 percent of the residents.

This would not only illustrate an accepted need for the work, but would also fund a significant portion of the $2.5 million project, with each property contributing between $35,000 and $60,000, depending on the length of each property that fronts 20th.

The sewer district is particularly eager to begin work on 20th as soon as they can, in order to take advantage of a window of opportunity to get the work done at a reduced cost.

If done this summer, the sewer project would compliment the City of Sammamish’s sidewalk and curbing work on the same stretch of road.

The city, too, sees the benefit in syncing the two projects, and so has offered the sewer district an incentive to get the work done — it will pay for the road overlay which would otherwise be the responsibility of the sewer district.

According to the water and sewer district’s general manager Ron Little, most of the approximately 60-70 residents who attended two public meetings on the project spoke in opposition to the project.

Following the most recent meeting, on Monday, July 6, district commissioners Tom Harman, Lloyd Warren, and Mary Shustov voted to proceed with the project.

Commissioner Bob Brady voted against proceeding.

Little said that four signatures of commitment to the project, received just moments prior to the meeting, brought the number of signed pledges up to “around 30 percent” of the 74 properties represented.

Earlier this week, Barry Adams, who owns a property within the project’s zone, told The Reporter that in the most recent survey of residents, only about 14 percent were committed to contributing to the construction of a sewer.

The day after the meeting, Little said that the district would now move quickly.

“The contractor was called this morning,” he said.