Sanitary Sewer Petition Fails
image is original Phase 4 plan area which failed.
Prince George, B.C. – The petition that would have cleared the way for phase four of sewer installation in a Hart neighbourhood has failed.
The proposal called for residences along Killarney Drive, Carleton Lane, Carleton Place, Glenngarry Road, Croft Road, Dunbar Place, Langley Crescent, Poyner Crescent, Teresa Place and Montgomery Crescent to be added to the City’s sewer system The project would cost each property owner approximately $27 thousand dollars.
Before the project could be approved, the City required the approval from 50% of the total number of property owners, and 50% of the total assessed values. That mean the City needed to have approval of a total of 53 property owners, whose properties had a combined assessed value of $12.9 million.
The petition only resulted in the City receiving approval from 35% of the property owners representing $8.7 million dollars in assessed value.
However, Staff did note, there was approval from residents in one particular area of the big picture. So staff would like to do a formal petition in a smaller area.
(see map at right)
A resident in the smaller area, sent a letter to Council concerned they would have to go through the petition process again, having already rejected the proposal.
“We know there is a lot of interest in this (smaller) area” says Adam Homes, Engineer with the City. He says it is likely those in the revised area will ask the City to conduct another petition initiative.
Councillor Terri McConnachie says she was “Completely shocked” this project didn’t pass, but could not support redoing the petition. “It would be disingenuous” said McConnachie who said the democratic process was presented, and failed so she couldn’t support the idea of the City going ahead to redo the formal petition.
Mayor Lyn Hall says Council’s message has always been that it is up to the residents that the neighbourhood is the one “driving the bus” but if the City goes ahead and sets a new petition in motion for a smaller area, Mayor Hall says that means “the City is now driving the bus” and he is not comfortable with that. “I would bet if we turn this down, we would have those residents who want it , to come forward very soon asking to have a new formal petition.”
Council has turned down the request from staff to launch a new formal petition, and will leave it up to the residents to take the next step.
Comments
These guys saw what their neighbouts had to put up with for months-on-end. I don’t blame them for not wanting the construction chaos.
Chaos for sure. The city is not capable of laying out the materials needed,close a section of the street, dig a trench, have a crew large enough to assemble the materials and fill the area back in. No they have to hire a dozen trucks, load haul and stockpile the material away from site then bring it back again.
So Terri why would you be completely shocked when the money is not coming out of your pocket? Were you also shocked when the people of PG took a stand to not have a Bus Terminal built at 15th an foothills? The city has done very little for Hart Highlands in the last 45 yrs. The expected life of pavement is 20 yrs and now you want the homeowner to pay a portion to re-pave the streets. The city took and spent the money that was allotted for Hart Highlands sewer in a different area many yrs ago. The cost to have the sewer installed is just to high and this is why you get a no vote.
As long as those residents are happy with septic for the now foreseeable future, and are happy with the reduced saleability and hence reduced property values relative to similar homes in the same area that already have sewer, then it is their prerogative to remain with the status quo. Just do not come clamouring to council at a later date begging for the tax payer to provide that which they refused to pay for themselves.
How many other projects does the city taxpayer fund that you know nothing about? The city was given the money long ago to fund this project but seeing all septic fields in the area were working fine they decided to take the money and use in another area. Looks like you might have to pay for a new fire hall and a swimming pool.
If city hall is going to work hard getting grant money for a new fire hall and swimming pool maybe they can also work hard for the Hart Highlands sewer expansion.
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