It's encouraging that the pessimism that has swirled around the proposed Butler Crossings development on New Castle Road in Butler Township appears to have abated, thanks to new discussion by the state Department of Environmental Protection, the Butler Area Sewer Authority and Cedarwood Development of Akron, Ohio, the developer.

That could mean that there is in fact a future for the project, which would involve construction of a 145,000-square-foot shopping plaza and a 35,000-square-foot office building next to the Butler Commons Shopping Center.

BASA and Cedarwood engineers had a meeting scheduled for Friday to further review technical aspects of the project, which has been in limbo due to sewage system concerns.

Butler Crossings is planned for an area that is served by a sewer line that currently is functioning at close to capacity. And, sewage carried by that line flows directly into one of five BASA pump stations that overflow during heavy rains.

Meanwhile, BASA, under a new consent agreement with the DEP, is required to eliminate overflows or face fines and other penalties. The sewer authority already is permitted to issue only a limited number of new sewer-service permits through March 2008, and Cedarwood is requesting 45 — 30 this year and 15 in 2008 — for Butler Crossings.

Cedarwood has improved prospects for the proposed project by way of its willingness to install sewage holding tanks that would allow the release of sewage into the line in question only during off-peak hours. During rainy conditions, the tanks could keep the Butler Crossings sewage out of the line and away from the affected pump station for a longer period of time, if necessary.

The ability to delay the entry of sewage into the already stressed sewer line would help BASA avoid violations of the current BASA-DEP consent agreement, a follow-up to an agreement with which BASA failed to fully comply.

People who support the prospect of additional new development in Butler Township were no doubt pleased to hear the upbeat assessment of a March 2 meeting between the DEP, BASA and Cedarwood as provided by Eric Conrad, a consultant to Cedarwood.

Conrad described that meeting as positive, with all three sides working together.

Prior to that meeting, there were conflicting views about the DEP's position on having holding tanks serve Butler Crossings. Whether the DEP will be willing to approve the tanks depends on an acceptable proposal being put forth by Cedarwood.

Presumably, Cedarwood is willing to take whatever reasonable steps that the DEP might stipulate, in order to get the project under way.

Not long ago, it appeared that Butler Crossings might be doomed due to BASA's troubles with the DEP. Now it appears as if there might be more than just a glimmer of hope for the project's successful completion.

With the three entities talking to one another and hearing each other's concerns, prospects are enhanced for overcoming whatever hurdles exist.

That communication must not be allowed to be sidetracked.