Zeton U.S. Properties, which is currently constructing a 16,000 square foot office and manufacturing facility at 115 Oakhurst St., has run into a problem involving a city-owned storm sewer line running across the property.
“There is a drainage line, a sewage line … it goes all the way through our property to the next property,” Leisl Dukhedin-Lalla, CEO and president of Zeton, said. “What we would like to do is cap it … where that line comes through here … so that water, or whatever it is, doesn’t come into this property, because we run that risk of not knowing what that is.”
Zeton purchased Market Street-based Chemical Design Inc., a designer of chemical purification systems, in 2019, and is moving and expanding the business at 115 Oakhurst St. All told, according to Zeton, it’s a $12 million investment.
Dukhedin-Lalla said she has tried to contact Mayor John Lombardi III about the sewage line, as well as City Clerk Sarah Lanzo, and was informed that the matter had been turned over to David Blackley, corporation counsel.
A result of the capping is it would flood surrounding areas, including the county highway garage a block away on Niagara Street, Dukhedin-Lalla said.
She noted that the company’s attorneys also have attempted to communicate with city officials, without success.
“We don’t want to be bad neighbors, but the result of (capping) is all of (the surrounding properties) will flood,” she said.
Reference to a letter from Dukhedin-Lalla appeared on the minutes of the June 12 Common Council meeting, but the issue raised by her was not discussed by the council during its work session or the formal business meeting.
Megan Brewer, city zoning officer, confirmed that the storm sewer line is city property.
Blackley did not reply to this reporter’s questions about the sewer line on Monday.
Zeton has projected CDI will occupy its new quarters by next January. Dukhedin-Lalla has said expansion will produce 150 new jobs over a 10-year period.