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Home My WebLink AboutThe Citizen, 1989-04-19, Page 3THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 19, 1989. PAGE 3. Council puzzles over growth How to encourage development without putting a burden on exist ing property owners had Blyth Village councillors scratching their heads at a special meeting Monday night. The session, with Bruce Potter from B. M. Ross and Associates, the village’s consulting engineers Joe Hallahan, chairman of the Public Utilities Commission and Eugene McAdam, village building inspector, was prompted by a request for a sewer hookup on a lot on McConnell St. East where there is no trunk line available. Ron Ritchie had addressed coun cil on the issue at the regular April session Wednesday night. His lot lies just off the end of the trunk line. There are lots to the east which could be developed but the landowner has no interest in de veloping them. Under the circum stances Mr. Ritchie asked if it would be possible to put in a long connection to the end of the current trunk. Normal policy would be for the trunk line to be extended. Mr. Potter told council his first recommendation would be to ex tend the trunk line 350 feet east which would be the most economi cal extension and would open up nine more lots and when the costs were spread among the lotholders, would amount to about $2,900 per lot. Or the line could be extended further east to open up 11 lots and give deferred benefit to 12 more. However, he said, if the owner to the east doesn’t want to develop the land it’s hard to impose it on him. Without the trunk line being extended the council is left in a legal bind. If the trunk doesn’t go in front of Mr. Ritchie’s property he can’t be charged a frontage charge. If, however, he’s allowed to hook into the current system and at some time in the future, the land to the east did open up, he could not be charged a frontage fee because he already has sewer service. The cost for crossing his lot would then be picked up by the taxpayer or the property owners farther down the line. Mr. Ritchie sought to solve the problem by saying he would sign an agreement to pay the future frontage cost if the line was built past his house. Mr. Potter said that under the circumstances, this might be the answer but he warned council to check out the legality of the agreement and whether it can be made binding on a future owner of the house if Mr. Ritchie should decide to sell. The issue brought about a leng thy discussion of the village’s philosophy toward growth. Mr. Potter said that the traditional pattern of house-by-house growth causes problems of this nature. “I don’t think you want to discourage that kind of growth which may be the most appropriate growth for the village at this time. On the other side, I feel very strongly that the existing ratepayers shouldn’t be having to help pay (for the growth)” he said. If you were looking at a 50-house subdivision, he said, he’d not only want the subdivider to pay for providing all services, but advise council to charge a lot levy to ‘‘buy into” the existing capital of sewers, water systems, etc. that the existing taxpayers have paid to put in place. Most villages the size of Blyth have a great internal fear that they’re dying, Mr. Potter said, and some go overboard to promote development, making the taxpay ers pick up too much of the cost for new growth. Reeve Albert Wasson said he could listen to all this good advice about not being taken advantage of by developers, ‘‘but we have to realize we are not going to be blown away by subdividers (seek ing new developments).” But Mr. Potter said he thought it was only a matter of time before there is a heavy demand for lots in Blyth. A new subdivision in Zurich is about two-thirds sold before the services were started, he said. Serviced lots in Goderich are selling at $30,000 to $35,000. ‘‘I understand prices haven’t reached that level here but I think they will. It’s going to make the owners of these (undeveloped) properties be come a - little more receptive to selling them.” (The council had also been discussing the future servicing possibilities for a large number of lots on Drummond Street, east of the old CNR right of way). Council later went into commit tee of the whole (private session) to discuss the issue further. NOTICE-VILLAGE OF BLYTH RESIDENTS Large item pick-up to be Saturday, April 29th No regular household garbage please. Items such as fridge, stove, mattress, rugsareconsidered to be large items. Pick-up to start Saturday a.m. Helen R. Grubb, Clerk. it "lime... I Blyth. People Ruby Webster and Ted East had the high scores at the weekly euchre party at Blyth Memorial Hall April 10. Kay Konarski and John Hessel- wood had the low scores. Ida Godkin and Walter Pepper had the most lone hands. The special prize went to Rena Watt. On Wednesday, April 12 there were six tables in play at the regular Lost Heir card party. Wilfred Shortreed was the high man and Betty Bowes the high lady. Millar Richmond was low man and Evelyn Smith low lady. Special prizes went to Effie McCall and Ella Richmond. There will be no Lost Heir party tonight, April 19, but the action will resume April 26 at 8 p.m. Blyth council invests to advertise village Blyth village councillors decided at their April meeting Wednesday night that the village will continue to participate in advertising pro grammes for the village along with local merchants. Helen Grubb, clerk-treasurer re ported to councillors from a meet ing held with village merchants and a representative from the South western Ontario Travel Association on the subject of promoting the village. Plans call for advertising in the travel section of the London Free Press, in Century Homes magazine and in Highlights, a magazine from the Kitchener- Waterloo area. The councillors had already agreed to advertise in a village tourism brochure that will see 30,000 copies put in tourist booths across the province. ‘‘I think the village gets good mileage out of it,” Reeve Albert Wasson said of the advertising Corrections In a headline of a story on the Blyth Women’s Institute in last week’s Citizen, Jean Nethery was incorrectly identified as the new president. Isabelle Craig is the president. Jean Nethery is the vice-president. In the story on the Cranbrook Women’s Institute a name was missed that threw out the context of the story. The new president is Mrs. Lois Hart and the first vice-president is Mrs. John Van ass. In the listing of contacts for the 4H clubs at Cranbrook the name of Mrs. Leslie Knight was omitted from the contacts for the ‘‘Let’s Landscape” club. programme. Councillor Dave Lee agreed, saying for a village of its size, Blyth is farther afield than other com munities. Councillors also agreed to pur chase advertisements in the sou venir programme of the Blyth Festival. Participating in all the programmes discussed will cost the village about $1,000. Salaries set Continued from page 1 fied as a full-time employee and receive $8 per hour plus the same benefits package as the others. Part-time outside worker Brian Westburg will receive $8.20 per hour while casual labourers will receive $7.80 per hour. Janitor Mary Warwick will receive $105 per month. Jim Anderson will receive $46 per hour for garbage collection, up from $44. 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