New fee eyed for rear laneway new home buyers in city

The city wants to charge homeowners who live next to rear laneways in a new subdivision under construction in the city’s north end an additional charge on their property taxes, a city report shows.

Each homeowner would pay an additional $96.52 a year, based on numbers for this year, on top of property taxes and the money would go into a reserve fund to pay for the maintenance and eventual reconstruction of the laneways.

City officials are concerned about increased costs associated with rear laneways.

“Additional city costs associated with rear lanes include snow removal instead of snow plowing, increased frequency of replanting trees, and increased costs for emergency or reconstruction efforts within the lane due to close proximity of private structures (garages) to the public infrastructure with roof overhangs only inches away from the public rightof-way,” states Brad Appleby, the city’s subdivision control and special projects planner.

The charge would affect 53 of the 152 lots in the next phase of the Mason Homes Avonlea subdivision that’s between Chemong Rd. and Hilliard St., north of Milroy Dr.

Mason Homes completed the first phase of the subdivision in 2009-10. It includes 96 homes, out of which about 40 have a rear laneway.

For the next phase, Mason Homes has agreed to inform the new homebuyers about the additional charge for rear-laneway properties, Appleby states.

Based on the 2013 rate, the city would collect an estimated $5,000 if all the affected houses were occupied, he states.

The charge would be adjusted annually following the setting of the city’s budget and property tax levy, Appleby states. It would be calculated based on an estimate of the annual per-metre cost of maintaining the laneways within the subdivision.

A Mason Homes representative couldn’t be reached for comment Friday.

Other items council will consider Monday include:

Increasing the budget for the pedestrian bridge over the Otonabee River next to the CPR Bridge to $3.73 million from $3.38 million to cover the cost of additional work, such as greater-thanexpected repairs to the CPR Bridge and modifying the railing design to accommodate cyclists.

Giving Habitat for Humanity Peterborough District $40,000 to support its purchase of the Orange Lodge property at 574 George St. N., which is the former location of Our Space community drop-in centre, that will be redeveloped as a duplex to add affordable housing.

Giving Peterborough CountyCity Health Unit $29,160 toward its $150,000 construction of a garage for its mobile dental clinic vehicle.

Hiring Morneau Shepell Ltd. at an estimated cost of $270,825 plus tax for confidential counselling for city employees and their dependents for a five-year period.

Buying an ice surface system for Northcrest Arena from Cimco Refrigeration for $219,200 plus tax.

NOTE: Follow The Examiner’s live coverage of the council meetingsandjointhecommunity chat starting at 5 p.m. at www.thepeterboroughexaminer .com. Follow live coverage, community chat during Monday’s city council meeting

starting at 5 p.m.