The Butler Area Sewer Authority is facing a not-so-easy choice regarding the proposed sewage project in the Winterwood Drive area of Connoquenessing Township.

Its natural instinct would be to follow current rules and agreements to the letter. But doing so would likely cause a significant amount of damage to the appearance of the Winterwood neighborhood — a neighborhood of beautiful, mature trees.

But if it respects the beauty of that neighborhood, the authority risks opening itself to demands for exceptions regarding future projects in other areas — and, possibly, legal battles built upon the exception granted in this instance.

The thought of that possibility is not something that the authority relishes, but neither should it be happy about the prospect of eroding the character that the area currently boasts.

Thus, the dilemma.

Even without the tree issue, Winterwood residents have grounds for unhappiness. Under the project plan, homeowners would face costs, including tap-in fees to the township and BASA, totaling approximately $12,000. In addition, it is estimated that monthly sewage bills would be in excess of $100 per residence.

What has Winterwood residents so upset at this time is the BASA requirement that pressure-system lines be placed in private rights of way rather than in the street because of the difficulty of locating leaks through pavement.

Jim Tomazich, BASA engineer, also said lines located in a street sometimes are damaged by other utilities when they are working on their facilities.

Allowing the line to be installed in the street would soothe the current unhappiness of residents over the prospect of removing or damaging large trees that line the street. But residents of that neighborhood otherwise face a significant amount of property disruption for sewer lines connecting their homes to the main line.

Those residents' main lament in reflecting on the upcoming project should be that modern sanitary sewer facilities weren't demanded at the time their area was developed. Unfortunately, they are not alone, as evidenced by the costly sanitary sewer project under way in the county's southern sector.

When BASA meets at 11 a.m. Jan. 9 at the offices of the Community Development Corporation of Butler County, it will be reviewing a plot map showing where trees are located along the street and how the project, as currently envisioned, would impact them.

Beyond that, the authority will have to make its decision.

A frequent comment by Butler County residents is that they want the county's rural character to be maintained. For Winterwood residents, the issue is desiring to keep their neighborhood's wooded character intact.

Current project plans wouldn't destroy the neighborhood's appearance, but there is no question that it would negatively impact it on a significant scale.

The need to make that decision shouldn't be envied by anyone. From all vantage points, a win-win situation seems impossible.