Public Works Board denies Delano Apartment request for reduced sewer fees

Sympathetic but unwilling to bend the rules, the Board of Public Works denied a request from developers of the Delano Apartments to reduce sewer service fees that have nearly doubled since the project began.

Declaring it would be inequitable to reduce sewer service fees for a single project, the board declined Claremont Companies’ request to pay $2,000 for each of its 89 units slated for construction on Dartmouth Street.

During the Thursday, May 22 board meeting, project attorney John Markey highlighted the anticipated sewer service costs when the developer first purchased the property at 696 Dartmouth Street in August 2023 were about $115,215, approximately $1,295 per unit. 

In January the following year, the Board of Public Works voted to raise sewer connection fees. The current anticipated cost for connection is now $234,596 for the Delano Apartments, which is about $2,636 per unit.

Markey noted the development team met with all town departments in October 2023: “It was at that time never said, ‘By the way, as you’re doing your due diligence, we got something coming down the road.’”

He added, “I’m not expecting that Tim [Barber] is a seer with a crystal ball, but the reality was neither were we.”

With construction costs at a 38% increase compared to Amelia Apartments, the developer’s other Dartmouth Street property that Delano looks to emulate, Markey said the developer wanted to propose paying $2,000 per unit — the average of initial and current anticipated costs. 

Board members mulled over what would be “fair” for all parties and it was deemed inequitable to reduce the fee for one project.

Though he voted for the reduction, board member Ron Labelle said, “I’m kind of stuck between a rock and a hard place. Fair is fair, but when a board makes a decision, going back on that decision is going to be counterproductive and it’s going to open up an avalanche of requests from everybody else.”

Director Tim Barber stated any reduction would need to be done across the board in order to be fair to all rate-payers.

Board member Michael Gagne highlighted the necessary and costly water and sewer infrastructure improvements that the town will need in the not so distant future, especially as more multi-unit housing developments like this one are added onto the system.

The board ultimately voted to deny the request in a 2-1 vote.

Construction of the Delano Apartment foundation is well underway as the developer now seeks a building permit, with hopes to open up rental applications beginning in the summer of 2026.