‘Positive’ step on Fetherston future

Residents propose taking over mobile home park

Fetherston Mobile Home Park residents, the municipality of North Grenville and a private company open to fixing a long-ailing septic system took a positive step forward during an informal meeting to discuss the park’s future.

“They asked us to put a plan on paper and all that, a business plan, so we are working right now and we’re going to meet again beginning of next week sometime and see where we’re going, Maurice Dumoulin, president of the resident-run Fetherston Park Association, said Tuesday, one day after the meeting.

In early August, the Municipality of North Grenville told the park’s nearly 100 residents that, if the property’s five septic tanks weren’t fixed within 90 days, they would be evicted. Residents are now proposing ASI Group, a St. Catharines company that specializes in marine, water and waste-water services, fix the septic system up front and receive payment in monthly increments.

But residents need to own the property to accept ASI Group’s offer, said Brian Carré, chief administrative officer for the municipality. Owner J. Edwin Brown died in 2008 and his company went bankrupt.

“To have ownership, the residents are looking at creating a not-forprofit group and working with us and the bankruptcy trustee. If that occurs, then they would become the owner and then they would engage the company to manage the septic system and the water system,” said Carré.

Residents will need to submit a proposal to council for the plan to be approved, said Carré, Dumoulin hoped to do so on Aug. 26, but said he now thinks it will take until sometime in September to get the paperwork together. The council meets every Monday.

It seems like all the parties want to come to a solution, said Dumoulin.

“Lets take the gloves off. I’m not sure if it’s going to work, but we’re going to give them all that they want and we’ll see where that leaves us.”