Region of Queens to pick up tab for developers’ connection to sewer system

The Falls in Milton under construction on the banks of the Mersey River. (Rick Conrad photo)

The Region of Queens is going to pay the builder of an apartment building on the Mersey River in Milton to connect to the municipal sewer system.

Councillors voted at their meeting last week to compensate Eric and Dawn Fry, the owners of The Falls in Milton at 314 Highway 8 for the costs of running a sewer line from their new 15-unit apartment complex.

That would be for a lateral connection, the section of pipe that connects a private property to the municipal collection system. Ownership and maintenance of the lateral on private property are the owner’s responsibility.

The municipality’s sewer system bylaw states that “all costs associated with the installation, connection, maintenance or repair” of a building connection to the sewer system are the responsibility of the owner. 

But because the connection for this property is across the road, the municipality would be on the hook for the work of at least $50,000, according to a staff report. 

Adam Grant, director of engineering and public works, says past practice has been for the municipality to pay for the portion of the lateral that would have to cross a road.

Mayor Darlene Norman said the bylaw isn’t as cut and dried as it seems.

“The bylaw is grey,” she said in a recent interview.

“And when we look at what we’ve been doing up until now, the homeowner or developer or anyone is simply told to put their pipe out to the road. And then the region connects to our lateral that’s running. And that’s what that developer was told. When he did his site plan and his permits, he was told and approved to run his pipe directly out to the No. 8 highway which is what he did.

“Now it’s been determined by staff that … the cost to connect him to our lateral because it’s on the other side of the road which was never discussed with them, it’s $50,000-plus because it’s provincial highway, it’s permits, it’s all those items.”

So, municipal staff have been working with the owners to run a pipe on the property parallel to Highway 8 into a manhole at the edge of the property. That would connect the building to the municipal system.

That option would cost up to $27,500, according to the staff report. The developer would do the work and be compensated by the municipality.

“To suddenly say to a person that you have all their approvals in place, they’ve done what they’re told and then to say, ‘Oh, by the way, there’s another $50,000 price tag that you have to pick up,’ that’s a little unfair,” Norman said.

“You can’t tell someone to do something and then a year or two later, say, ‘Oh, maybe we shouldn’t have told you that.’ So the region will pick up the cost of running it to the manhole cover.”

Councillors voted in August 2022 to sell the former Garika Park to the Frys. And in October of that year, councillors also rezoned the land to allow the Frys to go ahead with their development.

Geared toward seniors, the three-storey building is slated for an October opening.

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Seniors housing development in the works for Milton

Satellite map view of Garika Park in Milton Nova Scotia

Garika Park. Photo: Google Maps

A new 15 unit housing development is being planned for Milton.

At their last meeting, Region of Queens council agreed to sell the former Garika Park lands to developer Eric Fry.

Fry says the new development will be geared towards seniors.

“It’s right at the little waterfall, that dam, so it’s just a gorgeous location. We think it will be a big seller,” said Fry. “My whole background is sales and business development, so we’ll put a package together that I think will be really appealing to a lot of locals and maybe even draw some people in from out of town to help drive the economy a little bit.”

Headshot of a smiling man

Eric Fry, contributed by Eric Fry

Fry says this is not an affordable housing project with rent expected to land in the range of $1,700 to $1,800 per month.

He anticipates seniors looking downsize from a family home into something smaller and more manageable will be very interested in the development.

“Those folks that are in the local area whether it be Milton or Liverpool that own their homes and they just don’t really have anywhere to go, they don’t want to go all the way to Bridgewater,” said Fry. “They want a place to settle into but a nice, two-bedroom, well-appointed place.”

Fry hasn’t ruled out the possibility of building affordable housing in the future.

He has some experience buying and selling development property in Queens and has enlisted the services of local designer Brydon Huntley to plan the proposed seniors development.

Fry is looking to build 15 1,100 – 1,200 square foot units on the 36,000 square foot location.

Before any work can begin, the property needs to be rezoned and accommodations must be made for a boat launch and fire hydrant on the site.

If all goes well, Fry is hopeful to begin construction in Spring of 2023.

E-mail: edhalversonnews@gmail.com
Twitter: @edwardhalverson

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$40k coming to Queens to support creation of seniors housing

Nova Scotia and Canada flags flying on a flag pole against a blue sky

Photo Ed Halverson

A community group in Queens has secured $40,000 in provincial funding to work on increasing the supply of affordable housing for seniors.

The Queens Care Society received a grant from the province’s $916,000 Community Housing Capacity Building Program.

Society member Susan MacLeod says the group will use the money to hire an experienced coordinator who will have several responsibilities.

“Dealing with potential developers, working with other government levels that support housing, working with other funding agencies to acquire monies when the build is to be done,” said MacLeod.

The group is exploring options but MacLeod says they’re interested in developing an affordable co-op housing model where tenants can buy-in.

“Sometimes if you own your own home or you have a mortgage that is available for the home then you’re more apt to take a bit more interest in things.”

The Queens Care Society is a small group of 15 people operating out of the Queens County Home Support board room.

Covering all of Queens County, the members are supported by the senior safety officer and affiliations with other community organizations dealing with seniors care.

MacLeod says as a group they work to identify issues, find solutions, and get them up and running before leaving them to run independently.

She says Queens County Transit was an idea that came out of the society and now operates on its own.

MacLeod says the group will tackle the housing issue in the same way.

After hiring their project coordinator, MacLeod says their next steps will be to form a new non-profit housing side to their society.

They’re looking for board members with financial experience, landlords and developers who can find ways to build more seniors housing.

MacLeod says the group will also ask the municipal and provincial governments to make land available for an affordable housing build.

She says her group is drawing on all their collective skills and experience to make affordable seniors housing a reality in Queens.

E-mail: edhalversonnews@gmail.com
Twitter: @edwardhalverson

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