The Lake Forest City Council voted Tuesday to pause their effort to connect homes in the Winwood subdivision with city sewer lines after residents raised concerns about the potentially high costs.
On Dec. 5, a Special Service Area was proposed for the Winwood neighborhood that would allow the city to pay the upfront costs for homeowners to connect to Lake Forest’s sewer system. In turn, homeowners would pay the city back over a period of years.
An ordinance mandating a switch has been in effect since 1976, said City Manager Bob Kiely, but it only applies to residences within 500 feet of a city sewer line. About ten years ago, nearby development led to a sewer line in the Winwood neighborhood, Kiely said.
Winwood is the last subdivision in Lake Forest that is not connected to the city sewer system, said Mike Strong, assistant to the city manager. There are currently seven houses in the Winwood neighborhood within 500 feet of the line, according to numbers presented by city staff. If those homes connect to the city sewer line, their neighbors will then be within 500 feet of a city sewer line and likewise would be required to connect.
In total, 28 homes could be required to connect.
“You kind of have this domino affect,” Strong said.
Homeowners in Winwood had 60 days to object to the Special Service Area. Their early concerns led the council to extend the objection deadline to March 31.
“This is a huge financial burden on the homeowners,” said Andrew Twyman, a Winwood resident. “In some cases the cost is equivalent to half the value of the homes themselves.”
“This is a lot of money for folks and will impact them financially for a long time to come,” Kiely said at the meeting.
Strong says a switch from a septic system to city sewer service could cost a homeowner something in the range of $5,000 and $30,000. However, he cautions that doesn’t include interior plumbing and the cost for individual homeowners could vary quite a bit depending on several factors specific to each home.
“I hope what we saw from the city last night shows their willingness to work with us and maybe amend the code,” Twyman said.
The city council plans to hold a public meeting to discuss the matter that is tentatively scheduled for Feb. 13.
Among the topics the council might consider is whether the Winwood residents could be exempted from the ordinance, whether the 85 homeowners in Lake Forest who are still using septic systems could continue to do so, if the ordinance can be selectively enforced for emergencies and whether the repayment period can be extended, Kiely said.
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