Faced Thursday with multiple options for providing sewer service to an area near North Surry High School, Mount Airy and Surry County officials favored one that would serve the most properties but cost the most money.

This issue has been studied for more than a month, after an official with the Franklin Volunteer Fire Department asked members of the City-County Liaison Committee to speed up sewer line work along the N.C. 89 corridor west of Mount Airy.

The fire department is considering building a new station on a 10-acre site owned by local businessman Gary York which is between Gentry Middle and North Surry High schools. Availability of sewer service would aid in the planning of the new facility, officials were told, as well as benefit the two schools along with serving commercial and residential properties and promoting long-term economic development in the area.

Surry County already has committed to extend sewer lines to the Interstates Water and Sewer District, which is in the northwestern portion of the county at the interchanges of I-77 and I-74. But that plan designed earlier — costing some $1.1 million — is for a force-main, or pressurized, pipe system that mainly would link the interstates area to the city wastewater system while limiting connections by properties in between.

Since last month, other proposals have been devised which would cover the watershed that includes the proposed firehouse location.

As a result of recent studies, several options were presented Thursday to members of the liaison group, which contains both city and county representatives who meet to discuss joint projects. While the site in question is in the county, the sewage from the area would be piped to the municipality for treatment and City Manager Don Brookshire said the N.C. 89 corridor is an important entranceway to Mount Airy.

Officials also pointed out Thursday that existing city policy allows for sites outside the city limits to receive water service, but generally requires those desiring sewer service to request annexation — although that rule has been waived in cases of severe need.

Along with the original plan, four other options were outlined Thursday by Adam Kiker, an engineer with Hobbs, Upchurch and Associates, ranging in cost from $1.9 million to nearly $4.4 million. The cheapest proposal is the one that would provide the quickest option for the fire station. That limited project would cover the schools as well as the firehouse.

However, officials seemed to settle on the most expensive alternative. It would include a forced main from the Interstates Water and Sewer District to the Maple Hollow Road intersection, and several gravity-flow runs to and from various points including Gentry and North Surry and Meadowview Middle schools and Stewarts Creek. The gravity lines also would promote more customers hooking up to the system in the affected area.

Craig Hunter, a county commissioner, called that option “the smart way” to serve the N.C. 89 corridor. “The question is, how to pay for it,” Hunter added during Thursday’s discussion.

He said he didn’t favor the “in-between” options that wouldn’t serve as many other properties as the desired one, while also bringing a hefty price tag. “You’re still spending a lot of money and not solving the long-term issues,” Hunter said.

Other officials agreed Thursday.

“The big picture is fine,” Jimmy Miller, another county commissioner, said of the long-range view addressed by the costliest method, “if you can find a way to do it.”

Along with city and county dollars that would be used for the effort, officials discussed other funding options Thursday that would lessen the burden on the localities.

These included the N.C. Department of Transportation, which is involved in the interstates project, and federal sources such as stimulus funds and the Appalachian Regional Commission that provides extra assistance to the economically-depressed Appalachia region.

Kiker also said that the project might qualify for educational-related grants due to documented wastewater problems at Gentry and North Surry schools.

Brookshire said members of the city staff will explore possible grant sources as well as cheap loan financing in the coming weeks. “Let’s see how far we can take it, and move quickly over the next 30 days,” the city manager said.

Dean Brown, a city commissioner, said Thursday that he agreed with exploring available financing at this point. “I think we really need to look at that before we make a commitment,” Brown said of the city’s participation in the expanded sewer project.

Jon Cawley, a fellow commissioner, offered a contrasting view. “I’m saying if we’re committed to do it, we could find the money,” Cawley said.

Yet Cawley agreed that the expanded sewer project must be justifiable to the municipality from a financial standpoint. “I think it’s a hard sell for the city commissioners if we don’t get some return on our sewer investment,” added Cawley, who doesn’t favor absorbing affected neighborhoods into the city limits and subjecting them to municipal property taxes.

“I’m not interested in forced annexation,” Cawley said.

Those tapping on to the sewer system could be charged higher use rates or various fees as an alternative to being annexed, based on Thursday’s discussion.

City water service already has been extended to the Maple Hollow area and about 20 customers have tapped on to the system.

Contact Tom Joyce at tjoyce@mtairynews.com or at 719-1924.