In ‘last mile,’ amenities building sewerage issues spur a scramble

School officials are facing new questions about sewer connections at the proposed Acton-Carlisle High School bathroom building. 

Acton-Carlisle Regional School Committee chair Julie Viola said district leaders don’t anticipate a “huge hiccup” as the Public Works Commission reviews a sewer appeal filed for the project just last Friday. Others in recent public meetings were less certain. 

As officials scramble, some are questioning why these concerns didn’t surface sooner.

“We’ve been hearing that this is a need for 10 years, and yet we’re on the eve of Town Meeting and we don’t have a clear line of sight to what is even being asked for,” said Select Board clerk Mark Howell on Monday night. 

Urgent need

The amenities building would be a concrete block structure with 16 toilets next to CCHS’ Memorial Field. It could cost up to $1.85 million and would bring Memorial Field into compliance with state code. 

This year’s project is smaller and cheaper than a proposal that officials yanked from last year’s Town Meeting warrant. But the process still sparked questions, especially after the Community Preservation Committee declined to consider an out-of-cycle grant application to mitigate the taxpayer burden. 

CPC members on the winning side of a 5-4 vote said they were worried about setting a precedent for late applicants and would have backed the project if it had come before their deadline.

School officials said they didn’t have plans in time and originally heard they were ineligible for Community Preservation Act funding. 

Some urged the schools to pause the project and seek CPC help in 2026. School officials countered and said waiting would make the building more expensive due to tariffs and other expected cost hikes. Officials also fear litigation over their noncompliant system of portable toilets at Memorial Field. 

“We are literally getting letters of people who are in wheelchairs being physically carried to a toilet,” Viola told the Finance Committee on April 24. “…It’s just a matter of how much risk we want to take on as a community and what kind of a community we want to be.”

Sewer concerns

Public conversation turned to sewer connections during FinCom’s April 15 hearing when Public Works Commission chair Sven Weber said the commission hadn’t received a sewer application. 

Assistant Schools Superintendent of Finance and Operations Robert Conry said he didn’t think sewer connection fees were factored into the amenities building budget. 

On April 24, Viola said officials estimated the connection fee at no more than $200,000. She said staff expect to afford the extra cost through a combination of stabilization funds and wiggle room within their budget. 

Though they didn’t submit an application, Viola said the team met with representatives from other town departments before the April 15 meeting. She said water and sewer staff in attendance didn’t raise concerns about sewer capacity. 

Public works director Alan Cathcart acknowledged the meeting. He said that “the issue of sewer connections and a need for review was identified.”

“The challenge is, I’m not sure the significance of it was understood,” he told FinCom.

‘A big ask’

Viola said the amenities building is in its “last mile.” 

“What is frustrating me in this context is having this being presented as half-baked when the project has been out in the public,” she said. 

FinCom members recommended by a 7-5 vote that Town Meeting fund the amenities building, despite sewer concerns.

Chair Eric Dahlberg was one of the “no” votes but said he sees the need for the project. As Acton manages debt and its limited wastewater capacity, Dahlberg said he wants more information from the PWC.

The Select Board discussed its recommendation on Monday and sided with the FinCom minority, at least for the time being, opting to defer its recommendation.

Public works commissioner Andrea Solomon on April 24 said the amenities building review “is a big ask.” 

In a call Tuesday morning, Cathcart told The Acton Bridge that the schools applied for a sewer connection shortly after the April 15 meeting. The town issued an administrative denial, which was a prerequisite to PWC review. The schools appealed to the PWC on May 2. 

Weber said the submission should have come “far earlier.”

“Somewhere,” he said, “the communication broke down.”

In an email after the print version of this article went to press, Viola said “we have a handle on this from both a process and financial perspective.” She did not respond to a question asking whether the district knew it needed to go before the PWC before April 15.

Viola said Cathcart “has been a great partner” and said she expects collaboration will continue. 

“I’m not sure why this issue has escalated the way it has, as [Conry] has been engaged with the group for some time,” she said. 

Thursday, May 8, 11:41 a.m.: This story has been updated.