Saint John residents will no longer pay to maintain a section of Park Drive leading into Kennebecasis Park in Rothesay.
Council recently approved an agreement with the town to take over road repairs and snow clearing on the city-owned stretch of the road.
Michael Hugenholtz, the city’s transportation commissioner, said discussions started several months ago after Rothesay built-up part of the road during the spring flood.
“Subsequently, they had talked about making that a permanent change,” Hugenholtz said. “We had kind of gone back and forth with the technical staff of the town to see what standard it would be built to.”
Building on the conversation, Hugenholtz said they came up with an agreement to have Rothesay take over routine maintenance, which includes permanently raising the section of roadway.
City will still own roadway
“They undertake that work at their own cost and their own risk and the city of Saint John is able to shed some maintenance obligations for a section of road that serves mainly Rothesay residents,” he said.
Earlier this year, Kennebecasis Park resident Korey Nixon wrote a letter to both councils, asking them to lobby the province for a municipal boundary re-draw.
“I do very much care about Saint John’s finances, and Saint John maintaining this area that doesn’t benefit any of its citizens is certainly an opportunity for Saint John to save some money by divesting of that small piece of property,” Nixon told our newsroom in July.
Saint John will still own the roadway itself and the underground infrastructure during the 15-year agreement, Hugenholtz said.
(Staff photo)
Story by Brad Perry
Twitter: @BradMPerry
Email: perry.brad@radioabl.ca
Follow
