By CRAIG FREILICH

POTSDAM -- Town government representatives will meet Thursday with representatives of USDA Rural Development to go over and sign the paperwork for a $30,000 grant from the agency aimed at making State Rt. 56 North more attractive to business and new residential construction.

“We’re trying to get businesses to come in,” said Supervisor Rollin Beattie, and to improve conditions for existing businesses, by exploring the feasibility of extending water and sewer service along the road.

The town will add $10,000 to the total for the study, being conducted by engineering firm C2AE, which has an office in Canton.

This and a preliminary study delivered in April are to provide construction plans, cost estimates for options, including finding out if the existing plants at Unionville have the capacity to handle the increased supply needs, along with information and data on the availability of grants for such a project.

After the studies are complete the town can begin hearings and the process of setting up the water and sewer districts with a vote by people within the proposed districts. It will also provide estimates of the costs to taxpayers.

USDA Rural development frequently makes grants to rural communities for projects such as water and sewer upgrades.

Beattie has said that the car dealers along that stretch of road would like to see such service, in part because it would provide them with enough water capacity to put in fire sprinklers.

It could also alleviate the expense of waste disposal, Beattie said.

“You would have to build leach fields and you would have to maintain them. That’s a big item to day for people who want to build,” he said.

The estimate of the cost of such a project is $6 million to $7 million, “but that’s just a guess right now,” Beattie said.