Last chance for Dresbach sewer?

Years of study and debate over Dresbach's proposed sewer system may be put to an end by the Winona County Board on Tuesday. Last month, the Winona County Planning Commission recommended that the County Board deny a conditional use permit (CUP) application by that would allow Dresbach Township to build a community sewer plant. Dresbach residents themselves are divided on the issue. The CUP is a land use permit and many residents are concerned about land use matters, but the financial impact of the proposal has been very controversial, as well. Both supporters and opponents have large amounts of money at stake. Now, the County Board will be asked to decide: should Dresbach build its sewer plant as proposed?

Squeezed between the river and Interstate 90, the unincorporated riverside hamlet of Dresbach has tiny lots that date back to the days of steamboats. Those tiny lots have left numerous residents with no space to install new septic systems when their old ones fail. There are alternatives that require less space, but they are expensive and Dresbach Township leaders have said that some lots do not even have space for the alternative options.

State regulators have identified several septic tanks in the community as "imminent threats to public health" because of leaking wastewater. Sooner or later, many of residents in Dresbach must either replace their septic tanks or hook up to a sewer system.

So the township has been studying options for developing a community sewer system. Davy Engineering estimated the system would cost $3.6 million. Everyone who owns property in the sewer system service area would be required to pay for the system, both those who are in need of a wastewater solution and those who are not. According to the township's estimates of per capita costs, the sewer system would be more expensive than even the most expensive on-site wastewater treatment options; however, a potential grant to cover 50 percent of the project cost would drastically change the comparative cost.

The proposed site of the sewer plant is a gravel parking lot that serves the nearby park and boat landing and is surrounded by homes. Some neighbors are OK with living next to a sewer plant and some are not. Many said their home values would drop if the sewer plant were built. Other residents have concerns that there would be parking congestion if the parking lot were developed. For these reasons, the Planning Commission recommended denial of the permit, though Planning Commission members also discussed the cost and whether the community supported the project anymore.

The Dresbach Town Board at least one member opposes the project, though a majority apparently supports it sent the County Board a letter stating that the proposal does meet the CUP criteria and that a CUP should be granted. They stated that the parking lot is seldom used and that the sewer plant would not negatively affect neighboring properties. The Town Board also stated that high fecal counts were measured in drainages leading to the river. "This is a critical health issue," the Town Board wrote.

The County Board received a slew of letters from Dresbach residents in support and opposition to the sewer plant. "I want you to know that I oppose the sewer plant project and don't know how I would play for it," wrote Dresbach resident James Thesing. "We have an obligation to support our neighbors and help them become compliant with [U.S. Enviornmental Proection Agency] recommendations]. We owe it to the next generation and the future owners of our homes in our picturesque river town," wrote Mariel Carlisle.

Derek Nordeen, a neighbor to the proposed treatment plant site, wrote to the County Board explaining that he has no objection to the proposed site, and describing the sewage plant as "direly needed" infrastructure.

Resident Jenny Curran wrote the County Board urging them to deny the permit, arguing that the plant would make their community unattractive to visitors and new home buyers and would eliminate much-needed parking for the boat ramp. She also claimed that more than 50 percent of Dresbach residents had signed a petition against the sewer plant.

Another set of neighbors to the proposed site, Allen and Kathleen Engel, wrote, "we would not want a sewer plant this close to our property." They raised concerns over parking and added that "the monthly fees for the sewer would overwhelm us financially."

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Last chance for Dresbach sewer?