The town Water & Sewer Authority (WSA) is refining its statistics on the remaining municipal sewage treatment capacity at the central sewage treatment plant, in light of an anticipated request for a significant amount of that treatment capacity from the developer of a proposed mixed-use complex at 79 Church Hill Road.

79 Church Hill Road, LLC's, proposal for Hunters Ridge at that address will be subject to review by multiple town agencies, as well as the state Department of Transportation. Such a high-density project, which involves multifamily housing, a shopping center, medical/dental offices, and a restaurant, requires municipal sanitary sewer service, based of the sheer volume of wastewater that the complex would create.

The sewage treatment plant at 24 Commerce Road is rated to treat daily up to 932,000 million gallons of wastewater. Of that amount, 332,000 gallons is reserved for municipal use, 100,000 gallons is reserved for Fairfield Hills, and 500,000 gallons is designated for state use.

Fred Hurley, town public works director, said January 17 that the town is currently using "more than 200,000 gallons" of its daily sewage treatment complement.

Beyond the municipal treatment capacity now being used, there is other treatment capacity that has been allocated for planned local development, but which is not yet being used, he noted. The WSA will annually publish its sewer capacity statistics to explain how much capacity remains, he said.

It is yet unclear how much treatment capacity 79 Church Hill Road LLC will seek from the town for its mixed-use proposal. Mr Hurley said he expects a sewer service application from the firm by the first half of March.

Besides sewage capacity, the applicant will request that the WSA expand the central sewer district to include the proposed development within it. Only a small section of the 35-acre rolling, wooded parcel now lies within the sewer district.

WSA members are expected to discuss sewage capacity issues when they meet on February 8, and then later publish the amount of town sewage treatment capacity that remains.

Drawings for the project indicate that the proposed 224 rental apartments would include 116 one-bedroom units and 108 two-bedroom units, for a total of 332 bedrooms. There would be a total of 648 parking spaces provided, including 396 residential spaces, 170 spaces for the retail uses, and 82 spaces for the office uses.

There would be garage space for 54 vehicles and carports for 24 vehicles

The six multistory residential buildings at the northeastern section of the property would be constructed on slopes, with three residential levels shown at their facades, and four levels at the rear. Four residential buildings would have 42 dwellings each, and the two smaller residential buildings would have 28 dwellings each. The multigabled structures with pitched roofs would have balconies.

As amenities, the Hunters Ridge residential complex would have a clubhouse, outdoor swimming pool, fitness center, playground, community gardens, and trails, among other features.