Unico Corporation may have to pay a $175,000 sewage facilities tap-in fee for three buildings it plans to construct, as a result of the State College Borough Council's unanimous approval of a new per-unit tap-in fee.

"We more or less got a slap in the face for trying to work with the borough," said Dan Abruzzo, vice president of Unico. "Something like this would drastically affect the economic feasibility of a project we've already broken ground into."

Abruzzo, who is overseeing Unico's three-building, 220 unit Gateway project, to be located near the intersection of East College Avenue and University Drive, said the company could take the borough to court to oppose the fee if necessary.

State College Sewer Authority members late last month recommended the borough charge developers and home builders $772 per "equivalent dwelling unit," or apartment, for tapping into the borough's sewer system. The fee, which will be put toward expanding the borough's sewer system, does not apply to existing structures but all projects not already issued a sewer permit.

Before approving the fee, council members specified that a decision to exempt Unico of payment would rest with the borough's legal staff.

The developer could have avoided paying a $40,000 fee on one 52 unit-building by submitting a sewer permit application to the borough yesterday - before the fee was approved, said Borough Engineer Wes Wagner. He said a Unico official called yesterday and planned to secure a permit that afternoon, but no one showed up.

"They could have gotten their sewer permit today," said Herman Slaybaugh, borough zoning officer. "I don't know why they didn't. Otherwise, the issue would have been moot."

The borough told Unico officials sewer permits would be issued separately for the three buildings, instead of one for all three, Wagner said. Unico could only apply for a permit for the first 52-unit building, he said.

Councilwoman Ruth Lavin asked council members if they thought the fee was too low, adding that some communities charge $3,700 to $4,700 per tap.

"I'm personally wondering whether the authority is asking for enough under our circumstances," she said.

Elaine McKelvey, president of the Holmes Foster Neighborhood Association, urged the council last night to approve the fee and not exempt Unico.

"We do not feel it is our responsibility to be paying for all of the new sewers," she said. "If you don't put the tap-in fee tonight, then there's going to be a rush. Do it, do it, do it! We're scared."

The new tap-in fee, which will include the $5 permit charge, will be put into the authority's account for capital programs to pay for the expansion of sewer lines along Calder Way and Holly Alley, Wagner said. He added the fee is designed to offset the impact of large-scale development on the borough's sewer system.