Council didn’t want to set a precedent to waive wastewater and water development charges for a new house on Agnes Street in Wallaceburg, denying an appeal to waive charges last night at their online council meeting.
A local couple bought a vacant lot last year, hoping to build a small house on the property, but were not expecting to pay over $5,200 for water and sewer development charges. Council heard an appeal from the couple last night, asking council to waive the charges.
There would’ve been no or reduced PUC development charges if the former house on the property was torn down in the past five years, but since the former house was demolished in 2010 the development charges apply according to Chatham-Kent’s bylaws.
Tim Sunderland, general manager of the Chatham-Kent Public Utilities Commission, said there is a concern that if Chatham-Kent doesn’t charge development charges on new buildings they will set a precedent and they will receive other requests to waive the charges from developers and owners in the future.
Sunderland said he believes that Chatham-Kent has never waived PUC development charges in the past.
Council directed staff to work with the property owners to set up financial aids—such as a payment plan or investigating possible government funding programs, to help the Wallaceburg couple pay for the development charges.