NEW BERLIN – The New Berlin Town Board voted down the creation of a Chenango Lake Sewer District following an hour and a half of public comment last night that found many lakeside residents opposed to the controversial proposal.

In November, board members voted unanimously in favor of establishing the New Berlin Town Board as the lead agency in the formation of the Chenango Lake Sewer District, determining that action to construct a new sewage system would not have a significant adverse impact on the environment. On Monday, more than 40 people – many of them seasonal or year-round residents at Chenango Lake – attended the public hearing, the majority speaking out against the proposed project, which came with an estimated price tag of $4.47 million. Approximately 120 families would have footed the bill, according to information provided by the board, at an estimated cost of $680 per year – per family – over the course of 30 years.

Said Chenango Lake Property Owners Association (CLPOA) President Martha Hoover, in a prepared statement, “Although we are all united in wanting to preserve the lake and its surroundings, the majority of the property owners do not believe this sewer district and the resulting project is right for us. We are requesting you vote against this proposal.”