Mooseheart development site could switch sewage providers

A hurdle to commercially developing Mooseheart land might be overcome if the state allows more of the sanitary sewage to be generated to be handled by the Fox Metro treatment plant instead of Batavia's.

The Batavia City Council Monday will vote on a request to amend the facilities planning area for the city to put the acreage in question into Fox Metro's district. Fox Metro is on board with the plan. The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency could approve or deny the request.

If this doesn't happen, the development could be compromised by the lack of capacity at Batavia's treatment plant. The IEPA recently put the plant on “critical review” notice, which means the IEPA may approve new developments that increase the load, but wants to see plans advancing for expanding the plant.

A 2009 city report on the plant noted that even without new users, it is likely the city will have to expand the plant, and it also likely will need some upgrades to accommodate new federal laws regarding nutrient discharges in order to get its new federal operating permit in 2012.

Moose International has proposed retail, office and residential development on nearly 500 acres of land south of Main Street, east and west of Randall Road, and it wants to annex the land to Batavia. The portion north of Mill Creek is in Batavia's sewer planning area.

The land is presently used by Mooseheart, the private charitable residential school the fraternal organization runs. Much of the part to be developed is land students used to farm.

The council meets at 7:30 p.m. at the Batavia Government Center, 100 N. Island Ave. A memo explaining the proposal is available on the council's agenda at cityofbatavia.net