CORTLAND Council fails to lift ban on construction

Underground work has been completed on Fowler Street.
CORTLAND -- City council decided not to lift a ban on further construction in the Shepherds Hill development until an agreement is reached to fix the neighborhood's drainage problems.
City officials have presented developer Anthony Petrocco with comments on his proposal to address persistent flooding in the area by widening a ditch and culvert.
However, no timetable or formal agreement has been reached, city attorney Patrick Wilson said.
The city imposed a ban on additional building permits and sewer and water taps in the development until issues with the developer are resolved. Donald Whittman, safety-services director, said he was told by a representative of the developer that he had buyers for two Shepherds Hill lots.
After flooding in the area this summer, city consultants concluded that the sewer and drainage system Petrocco installed in the subdivision did not match with approved plans. Remedial steps being proposed fall far short of replacing the system, but "should greatly help the situation in the development," Whittman said.
At a meeting Monday, council also approved spending an additional $25,000 on the replacement of storm sewer lines on Fowler Street. All the pipes have been laid along the street, but asphalt work and landscaping remains to be done, Whittman said.
This is the second time storm sewer pipes were installed along the street within the last few years. In November, council accepted a $200,000 settlement from Environmental Design Group, the company that designed the project with undersized pipes the first time around.
Redoing the road will cost the city $265,000, including some work not included in the original project, officials said.