New reservoirs will bring on growth boom for Millville, planning commissioner says

By Joseph Sheppard

April 19, 2005 | MILVILLE -- Jim Hart has always claimed that Millville is country living at its finest, once you get used to the smell and the flies.

While serving as chairman of the city's Planning Commission, Hart has seen that people agree with him. The city has experienced steady growth for the last two years, he said. And once the city builds high-line reservoirs on the east side of town, he said he thinks the town will explode.

Hart spoke recently spoke in an interview about the Millville's growth and potential as he worked restoring his 1968 corvette in his shop at Mountain Toppers in Logan. He cited the example of the Shire subdivision. It has 53 lots and has sold out two complete phases over the last two years. For a city of 230 households, that is significant growth, he said.

The lots in the Shire "aren't cheap" -- they run at about $200,000, Hart said. He said a lot of the new residents have young families and many have established families. A lot of second generation Millville residents are coming back to settle, he said. Millville really is a great place to live, Hart said.

"For me I know you're close enough to Logan where everything is at, but you're far enough away that you're out in the country," Hart said.

Hart expects that a huge amount of growth will take place on the land planned for subdivisions on the hills east of Millville.

"People want live on the hill. They don't want to live in the valley," he said.

There are 250 or 450 acres split between Providence and Millville on the hills, Hart said. Providence can handle the growth there because they have a city water system, Hart said. They recently annexed a hundred acres from Millville.

One of Millville's biggest hurdles for this jump in residential growth is water. The current pump is at an elevation of about 4,720 ft.. Before more houses can be built up on the hill, a water system of high-line water reservoirs has to be put in, Hart said.

"When the water system comes in, it will probably explode," Hart said.

Hart said the high-line reservoirs will be needed because it is not enough to simply pump the water up there. If power goes out, the water pressure will drop and those homes would be without water.

Hart said he couldn't say how soon the reservoirs will come in, but said it is something they are now looking into.

"We're looking into financing. We're looking into actual logistics. We've got off-set needs to cost and make sure everything is going to work out," Hart said.

If enough homes are built on the hill, then the expense shouldn't be too much for the city, Hart said. He said most of the expenses should be covered by impact fees.

"It shouldn't put a lot of pressure on existing residences," Hart said.

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