SIZE OF TWIN LAKES LOTS ADDS TO COST OF SEWER SERVICES

Two years ago, the majority of Twin Lakes' 90 property owners requested that the Cape Girardeau city limits be extended to include their subdivision just south of Hopper Road and west of Interstate 55. City voters overwhelmingly approved the annexation, as did Twin Lakes residents.

This friendly annexation has turned less cordial since projections on the cost of hooking up Twin Lakes residents to city sewers came in almost double the original estimates. Most residents would pay $11,000 or more to extend city sewer service to their properties.

The project can still progress to a friendly conclusion. City representatives will meet with residents on July 18 at the Trinity Lutheran School. Annexation into the city limits doesn't require city water and sewer service. If the costs are too burdensome, subdivision residents could choose to make the sewer and water connections sometime in the future. The city council has allowed annexed properties to opt out of sewer service in the past, if no health problems threatened.

Given the high cost of sewers, many of the Twin Lakes residents would prefer to keep their septic tanks. Even spread out over 10 years, the payments would be substantial -- $1,000 a year or more. A number of the residents have signed a petition to oppose the sewer project as it has been proposed.

Residents seem much more receptive to extending water to the subdivision. Property owners currently get their water from private wells, and some of the water is undrinkable.

City staff members say the cost of the Twin Lakes sewer project is in line with other parts of the city. The costs, by state law, are based on the square footage of the lots were service is provided. Sewer hookup estimates were 22 cents a square foot in the Belleridge subdivision and 20 cents a square foot for Hanover Estates. The Twin Lakes project has been estimated at just over 20 cents a square foot. But the larger lots at Twin Lakes really impact the total costs. For homeowners who have 2.5-acre lots, the special assessment for sewer connection would total nearly $22,000. Two years ago, the city prediction was $5,300 an acre as opposed to the current estimate of $8,790 an acre.

A number of factors raised the estimates, according to City Engineer J. Kensey Russell. Initial plans were based on a larger assessment district, less footage of pipe and fewer manholes. The soil testing also indicated the project would hit rock, a cost that wasn't figured into the initial estimate.

Extending sewers from Route K to Hopper Road is part of Cape Girardeau's long-range plan. The city pays all costs of the trunk sewer work, which is estimated at more than $1 million. Even if Twin Lakes opts out of the sewer project, the city will proceed with this sewer extension some day. That would allow Twin Lakes another opportunity to access city sewers in the future.