East Lyme ― It was close to one year ago that the Water and Sewer Commission authorized the developer of a proposed 454-unit senior housing complex on Dodge Pond to send 75,000 daily gallons of sewage through the town system, but there has been no movement publicly since then.

First Selectman Dan Cunningham this week said landowner Dan Trakas and the project developer, New York-based architect Eric J. Pelletier, stopped by his office on Jan. 18 to explain their vision for Niantic Village at Dodge Pond.

Cunningham said the men didn’t indicate their timeline for the project. They could not be reached for comment.

The proposal covers 37 acres currently owned by members of the Trakas family. The land extends from Pennsylvania Avenue to Dodge Pond about half a mile north of Town Hall. The sale to Pelletier-Niantic LLC is pending project approval.

The project as described to the Water and Sewer Commission would include 160 condominiums, 144 apartments, and a 150-bed assisted living section, as well as urgent care and radiology facilities open to the public.

Utilities engineer Ben North this week said regulations require all land use approvals to be obtained within a year of the March 29 sewer authorization. Without those approvals, Pelletier-Niantic LLC will need to come before the commission to seek an extension.

He said the commission, which has scant capacity to spare, “isn’t going to look favorably” on an applicant who hasn’t secured any approvals so far.

The land use process will determine if the project fits with the town’s Plan of Conservation and Development, whether there are any wetland concerns, and if it meets the zoning regulations.

North at a public hearing on the sewer allocation last year said the project would likely be “one of the last major developments” in town until officials figure out where to find additional capacity for its sewer system. The town sends 1.5 million gallons of sewage per day to New London’s Piacenti Water Treatment Facility.

Zoning Officer Bill Mulholland said there has not been “any type of application submitted for discussion or review” to his department.

Planning director and Wetlands Enforcement Officer Gary Goeschel this week was unsure of the project status.

“I haven’t heard anything since they came out of Water and Sewer,” he said.

Attorney Bill Sweeney, who represented the development in front of the commission last year, said it was his understanding the project was on hold while the applicant worked through various issues.

Cunningham said Trakas and Pelletier gave him the impression they were trying to a get a read on how he felt about the project. He told them he would keep an open mind.

“I need to evaluate it and take the temperature of how people feel around town,” he said. “There’s pros and cons.”

Town charter dictates Cunningham, as first selectmen, also serves as chairman of the Water and Sewer Commission. The sewage allocation approved last year happened under previous First Selectman Kevin Seery’s leadership.

“It’s certainly an interesting proposal, I will say that,” Cunningham said. “But it would really change the character of Penn Ave. on this end of town.”

e.regan@theday.com