Granville Township Secretly Plans Sewer System

Sewer would allow faster commercial and residential growth.

New Township Trustee Bill Habig is heading a secret effort to bring water and sewer service to the township to allow for faster growth and development. The secret effort is an attempt to strip the Village of Granville of its power to slow and control growth.

Historically, Granville has been able to control the rate of growth and the density of residential development by controlling sewer and water. Bringing these utilities into the township close to the village would permit much faster growth and much denser housing with a serious impact on the school system.

Habig, who also helped William Kraner defeat the Granville School District’s efforts to limit growth on the developer’s property, declined to answer questions on his attempt to bring water and sewer to the township.

Habig has launched a two-pronged effort – with the knowledge of long-time trustee, Wes Sargent – to bring utilities to the township. Habig believes the township should construct its own water and sewer system to compete with the village, who he thinks is insufficiently supportive of development. Habig wrote, “Our township needs to get ready for economic development by creating its own water and sewer capacity in whatever way makes sense. The viallge [sic] will not help us.” in a September 19, 2007 email to trustee Wes Sargent.

At a September 6, 2007 breakfast meeting at Bob Evans, Habig asked the Southwest Licking Community Water & Sewer District if it would extend utilities to Weaver Drive at the village border. The meeting was attended by Tim Rollins of Metropolitan Partners, a developer who recently proposed building a fast-food restaurant with drive-thru at the village entrance on Main Street.

Habig, who was then chair of the Granville Township Zoning Commission, arranged for the meeting between Donald Rector, general manager of the Southwest Licking Community Water & Sewer District and Metropolitan Partners, owners of the former Shurtz property on South Main Street and 30+ acres of commercial land on Weaver Drive. Also during the meeting, a report prepared by a Columbus engineering firm, EMH&T, entitled “Mill District Development Sewage Treatment Review” dated May 2007 was presented to Mr. Rector.

EMH&T’s plan, done at the request of Metropolitan Partners, proposes the construction of an $800,000 sewage treatment package plant on River Road on Township property next to Lake Hudson and the driving range. The plan calls for an 8-inch sewer line running along River Road from Main Street to the package plant. The line would provide sewer service to the Metropolitan Partners property (the old Shurtz property) on Main Street as well as the other properties on River Road. The Ohio EPA would likely require all River Road property owners to pay to connect to the system. 

Southwest Licking was not interested in extending sewer and water service to the village border because of the cost and other issues. In an October 18, 2007 email to Tim Rollins of Metropolitan Partners, with a copy to Trustee Wes Sargent, Bill Habig wrote: "I called Don [Rector] and he said he had bigger issues with the county to handle first." Habig continued, "Don also said the [Licking County] commissioners may not support us not using Granville water and sewer."

In that same email, Habig went on to share some local politics with Rollins: "Our trustees will be selecting a new trustee next Wednesday. I’m one of five applicants. We have a Comp Plan meeting tonight at which I’m asking that Weaver be shown as commercial. Call me if we need to discuss." Habig was appointed by the Township Trustees as co-chair of the Comprehensive Plan committee. Constace Barskey was appointed co-chair by the Village Council.

Habig has not answered questions concerning this breakfast meeting, his role in setting it up, and his representation of Metropolitan Partners while serving as a Granville Township official.

View the Emails and supporting data: View