County to explore land transfer from 14 Wing Greenwood

BY KIRK STARRATT

kstarratt@kentvilleadvertiser.ca

NovaNewsNow.com

Kings County council could soon have additional infrastructure in Greenwood to manage. Engineering and Public Works director Richard Lloyd reported at the April committee of the whole (COTW) session that the county received a proposal from 14 Wing Greenwood in March. They would like to transfer water, sewer and road assets to county ownership from the former Public Married Quarters (PMQ) site known as Clements Park, which is over 100 acres in size and has been decommissioned by the Department of National Defense (DND).

Lloyd said the proposal is for preliminary consideration by council to proceed with further negotiations. If successful, the transfer would be executed formally by a financial contribution agreement between DND and the municipality. The agreement would be subject to legal review and concurrence on behalf of municipal and Department of Justice legal representatives. The Clements Park site would remain under the jurisdiction of DND.

Existing DND water service for the subject area provides water to two schools: Dwight Ross Elementary and Ecole Rose-des-Vents. 14 Wing intends to seek municipal approval to allow the two schools to be connected to the Greenwood Water Utility.

The proposal includes financial consideration for upgrading all existing water lines and providing the necessary new water connections to current municipal standards at DND’s expense. The transfer would be subject to the approval of council and the provincial Utilities and Review Board.

Seven private residences in affected area

The existing sewer configuration serves the same two schools and there are seven private residences on Tremont Road served by the DND sewer collection system. The proposal is to connect these homes to the Greenwood sewer collection system, which is owned by the municipality. This would be the county’s responsibility.

The cost for upgrading the existing sewer lift station to current standards and extending the sewer force main to the county’s system would be completed at DND’s expense. The lift station land would be transferred to the county.

Bedford Road, which serves the two schools from Central Avenue and is approximately 500 metres in length, would be transferred to county ownership as well. Lloyd said the existing road is in above-average condition and would be transferred to county ownership in its present state.

Lloyd said there would be many long-term advantages for the county. “This would allow us to make a loop where no loop existed before,” he said about the water infrastructure.

Warden Fred Whalen said there could be future subdivision development in the area and this would help provide service hook-ups.

Deputy Warden Diana Brothers, who represents the subject area, said the county has an interest in the long-term impact on residents and the proposed transfer is something that has been in the works in the background for a long time.

Councillor Madonna Spinazola asked if the proposal had been discussed with the seven residents who would be affected by the sewer transfer. Lloyd said it would become necessary to address their concerns if the county decides to move forward.

Councillor Chris Parker said the privately owned homes would be charged a sewer rate if the county takes over the infrastructure. He said the fee for the service would be $330 a year.

Brothers said there are issues to address, but council wouldn’t want to send negative vibes to the community before all the information is available and the full impact can be assessed.

The COTW voted in favour of recommending council approval to write a letter of intent to 14 Wing Greenwood to enter into negotiations for a financial contribution agreement for the transfer of the infrastructure. It’s being recommended also to have staff provide a business case and engineering and financial information on the proposed transfer in advance of council considering the financial contribution agreement.