POULSBO — Further delay of the proposed Bond Road Pump Station threatens to put a plug into development in Olhava and the rest of the western part of the city.

A query about relocating the project once again by Councilwoman Kathryn Quade at Wednesday’s public works committee meeting brought a straightforward response from Public Works Director Jeff Lincoln.

“It’s a $2.18 million project and we’ve spent over $400,000 in design,” Lincoln said. “Every time we redesign, our costs go up again.”

The project has been relocated and redesigned twice and has gone through at least two years of discussion, Lincoln said.

“We tried to accommodate everybody but now we’re out of options,” he said, noting that the project will be located in the Vetter Road right of way instead of the Bond Road right of way.

Vetter was selected because it was the best option that provided the capacity required for the project, he said.

“If we don’t, everything upstream stops and all that flow is going to the Lindvig Pump Station,” Lincoln said.

The Vetter Road Homestead subdivision is in jeopardy of losing its federal funding and development at Olhava would be put on hold until the station is completed, he said, explaining that First Western Development is ready to begin the project as soon as it receives approval from the planning department.

“The next step in the process is for (Planning Director) Barry (Berezowsky) to issue a notice of decision on Nov. 7 and I would expect work to begin shortly after,” Lincoln said.

Quade asked about the feasibility of installing a gravity flow line to the Lindvig Pump Station and making it the main pump station for the city.

Project Engineer Andrezj Kasiniak said that was one of the options considered in the 2002 wastewater comprehensive plan but noted that it wasn’t as feasible.

“Because of system flexibility and costs, the recommended alternative was the Bond Road Pump Station,” Kasiniak said.

Speaking about the flexibility, the pump station will give the city flow in both directions and if it isn’t built the city would not realize that capability, Quade said.

Lincoln told the committee two alternatives were examined including the gravity flow line to the Lindvig Pump Station and State Route 305 Force Main and Bond Road Pump Station.

“In the first alternative, all the flow goes down the beach,” Lincoln said.

Councilman Dale Rudolph agreed with Lincoln’s assessment and pointed out the potential danger in making the Lindvig station the center of the city’s sewer system.

“If anything were to happen to that substation we would be out of business,” Rudolph said. “It puts all our eggs in that basket.”