Hearing to Discuss Controversial Centerville Sewer Pump Station

CENTERVILLE – A controversial proposal for a sewer pump station on Main Street in Centerville will be discussed during a hearing at Thursday’s town council meeting.

The town has negotiated the purchase of 310 Main Street for nearly $550,000 for the location of underground pumping facilities for new sewer infrastructure in Centerville.

The town’s Comprehensive Wastewater Management plan has recently been adjusted from 60 years down to 30 years to more quickly address serious wastewater issues to protect freshwater and estuaries.

Town engineers have developed routes for main septic lines that require pump stations in various locations.

“It’s a math problem,” said Barnstable Town Councilor Britt Beedenbender.

Pump stations have specific location needs and engineers believe the most ideal parcel along the area where the sewer infrastructure will run was for sale at 310 Main Street.

“The town moved on it and is going to be putting in a pump station at some point within the next 10 years – probably a bit sooner than 10,” Beedenbender said.

“It is really to secure it for future use.”

The current structure on the property would most likely need to be torn down as work must be conducted underground on the site.

“It is more likely that the house will be torn down and a new home will be built around it,” Beedenbender said.

The current home would be maintained on the property and managed by the DPW until construction of the pump station begins.

“This is going to be the first of many of these types of things to be going in residential neighborhoods,” Beedenbender said.

Beedenbender said the town is cognizant and respectful that the project is going in a residential neighborhood and that it will be unnoticeable to people in the area when completed.

“There will not be smell. There will not be noise,” she said. “The only noise that would be generated is if there is a power outage and a generator goes on, and it will sound the same as when your neighbor’s generator goes on.”

Beedenbender said there are a number of pump stations already in town, several throughout Hyannis.

She recently spoke to homeowners near the Estey Avenue pump station in Hyannis to gather feedback.

“There was an across-the-board ‘no problems, we never notice it, it’s been great, no issues whatsoever,’” Beedenbender said.

When completed, there will be a home constructed on the lot that houses the pump station.

Beedenbender said it is a mechanical box that houses controls for the pump station.

“It’s not this enormous structure,” she said. “If you go to the one on Estey Avenue, you can walk behind it and you can see the actual size of it. It is rather small in size.”

Abutting neighbors oppose the proposed location for the pump station and are concerned about possible declining property values.

Beedenbender said that is an unnecessary fear.

“Property values go up when you are on sewer as opposed to septic,” she said.

She said that a Brookline resident purchased a property next to the Estey Avenue pump station after it was installed.

“If you look at property values on that street they are higher than what is currently on Main Street in Centerville,” Beedenbender said.

The meeting is at 7 p.m. at Town Hall.

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