Paradise resident losing land to make way for culvert

By Kyle Reid | Oct. 15

The Town of Paradise is acquiring the rights to a significant chunk of a homeowner’s property to complete road work at the bottom of Paradise Road.

During the Tuesday, October 6 regular meeting of council, councillor Deborah Quilty, chairperson of the infrastructure and public works committee, raised a motion to ratify the acquisition of a land easement at 376 Paradise Road to complete the work of a storm drain in the area.

In total, the Town moved to acquire the rights to 740 square metres of the land at a cost of $23,000.

Quilty noted the ratification during the public meeting was a matter of formality, as council had already moved to acquire the land at a private meeting.

“This acquisition was approved at a privileged meeting of council on September 15, 2020” said Quilty.

While the cost of the Paradise Road upgrades was included in the 2020 budget, Quilty noted that the acquisition of the additional land would not put the project over budget as the project would carry over into next year.

“The Town budgeted for the full project cost in 2020,” said Quilty. “Since the project would be split between 2020 and 2021 there are available funds under the project and the additional cost will be budgeted into the 2021 operational budget.”

Council members voted unanimously to ratify the acquisition of the land.

Quilty added later that the current detour at the bottom of Paradise Road would be in place until October 16. Road work from Rob’s Road to St. Thomas Line will be finished this year, with the remainder of the Phase 4 upgrades on Paradise Road to be completed in 2021.

“The crew over there on Paradise Road, they’re moving right along,” said Quilty. “It seems like they’re progressing really quickly…I’ve got no doubt that they will be finished, hopefully, and lay their pavement down before the snow hits.”