GORHAM – The Gorham Planning Board will take up a developer’s request in June to waive connecting a proposed subdivision to public sewer.

Chase Custom Homes & Finance Inc. is seeking permission for a 42-lot cluster subdivision Sawyer Estates on 104 acres off South Street. The applicant’s agent, Les Berry of BH2M in Gorham, said in a Planning Board meeting Monday the project is 3,500 feet from the public sewer at Weeks Road. The BH2M estimate said connecting to the sewer would cost $4.2 million.

“We took a look at it and said it doesn’t work for us,” Berry said in Monday’s meeting. “We’re asking the board to give us a hardship waiver.”

Instead of public sewer, the developer is proposing homes be served by septic systems.

“We would like to go public sewer, but it has to make economic sense,” Berry said.

A closer public sewer system serving another development apparently lacks capacity for the additional service. A proposal by the town to extend public sewer along South Street to County Road has not been funded, Town Planner Tom Poirier said before the meeting.

One of four residents speaking about matter, Arthur Handman of 63 Quincy Drive, had concerns about 42 septic systems and urged the developer to find a sewer solution.

Edward Zelmanow, chairman of the Planning Board, is requesting that the town’s attorney attend the meeting in June when a hardship waiver would be discussed.