Savoy Village Board Approves Curtis Road Sewer Work, Hopes Champaign Will Do Same

The Savoy Village Board has approved a joint agreement to design a sanitary sewer system for land surrounding the new Curtis Road I-57 Interchange ---- even though one partner in the agreement has already said "no".

The Savoy Board's unanimous vote in favor of the project comes a day after the Champaign City Council rejected the joint agreement. Savoy Mayor Robert McCleary says their action surprised him.

"We knew that development will happen around that interchange", says McCleary. "And for the Champaign Board (City Council) to say no to development in that area, it really mystified me. Because the development will follow the sanitary sewer, and we have to have that engineering done to get that going."

Officials say that if design work for the Curtis Road Interchange sewer project is completed in time, Champaign, Savoy and the Urbana-Champaign Sanitary District could apply for state loans and federal grants to get it built next year. But without agreement from all three governmental units, that work could be delayed a year or more.

Champaign council members who voted against the project said they didn't like voting for new development work after passing a budget that forced them to cancel or delay projects for existing neighborhoods. Mayor McCleary says he understands their position, but hopes they'll reconsider.

he Urbana-Champaign Sanitary District Board is expected to vote on the joint agreement in two weeks.