The City of Sebastian has set aside nearly $200,000 for a septic to sewer grant to those in the Sebastian Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) District.
The CRA was originally created to make sure that the downtown area and the places near it would grow in an organized way. It also encourages people to reinvest in and improve the area.
The Septic-to-Sewer Grant Program (SSP) is a special program in Sebastian. It’s for homes and businesses in the CRA District that currently use septic tanks.
This program offers money to property owners who are eligible. They can use this money to help pay for the cost of removing their working septic tank from a building that’s being used and connecting it to the sanitary sewer system of Indian River County.
In October 2019, the City of Sebastian sent postcards to property owners in the CRA District who could connect to the new County gravity line. These people could also get lower impact fees from the County.
Even though this would be good for them, a lot of these homes and businesses haven’t taken advantage of this chance yet.
Septic-to-Sewer Grant Program (SSP)
The SSP is for homes or businesses in the CRA District that are currently using septic tanks.
It gives money to property owners who are eligible to help pay for the cost of removing a working septic tank that’s connected to a building that’s being used. Then, they can connect to the sanitary sewer system of Indian River County.
By changing old septic systems to newer and better sewer connections, the SSP helps to lower the chance that harmful things like nutrients and pollutants will get into the local environment. This is very important in a city that is next to the Indian River Lagoon.
In October 2019, the City of Sebastian sent postcards to property owners in the CRA District who could connect to the new County gravity line. They could also get lower impact fees from the County.
Even though this is a good opportunity, a lot of these homes and businesses haven’t taken advantage of it yet.
The CRA was created with the goal of encouraging people to reinvest in the district, make improvements, and bring the community closer together. This goal shows how much the city cares about making sure that the growth of downtown Sebastian and the areas around it happens in a way that can be maintained in the long term. The project to switch from septic tanks to sewer lines is a key part of this goal.
To make sure that this is fair for everyone, the City of Sebastian will help pay for the costs of this project. Depending on what kind of connection is needed, the city will cover 75% of the cost, and the people who get the awards will pay the other 25%.
If you own a property in the CRA District and you want to find out if you can get money from the Septic to Sewer Grant Program, you can call Lisa Frazier, AICP, at (772) 388-8228, or you can go to City Hall.
