Properties on some private lanes in Rothesay may see changes to specific town services they receive.
The town is considering a new policy that would lay out specific criteria to determine which streets will receive summer and winter road maintenance, along with solid waste collection at each individual driveway.
Deputy Mayor Matt Alexander said the proposed policy is meant to address inconsistencies in the services being provided.
“The types of services provided now were largely adopted during amalgamation in 1998 and private lanes constructed since then have not received those same benefits, which had led to the inequity,” said Alexander, who sits on the town’s works and utilities committee.
The inequity, according to a staff report to council, has prompted concern among residents who own property on private lanes created since 1998.
The criteria being recommended as acceptable reasons to provide road maintenance and solid waste collection include:
- service to the lane was provided prior to amalgamation in 1998
- four or more single-family homes front on the lane
- the lane is purely single-family residential (R1B zoning) in nature
- the lane services single-family residential homes that are not part of a condominium complex, business or institutional use;
- extensive municipal sewer and/or water pipework exists in the lane right-of-way or the imputed ROW
- service to the lane forms part of a historic “exchange of services” agreement
Alexander said they might have to adjust which streets are included depending on public feedback.
“We do recognize that this policy does have the potential to be contentious among people within the town,” he said.
The proposed policy would also allow council to refer requests to recategorize a private lane to the town’s works and utilities commission for a recommendation.
Town council voted to defer the matter to their April meeting to give residents time to provide comments.
Below is the proposed list of private lanes which would continue to receive services as of Oct. 1, 2022 (Appendix A) and those that will not (Appendix B).
(Image: Town of Rothesay)
