Kings Road Residents May Soon Have Resolution to Maintenance Issue

Fall River (D2N) – In a Dec. 19 interview with District 2 News, Councillor Barry Dalrymple said Wellington’s King’s Road residents might soon see a resolution to their ongoing issue of road maintenance and repairs. Dalrymple said he believes King’s Road is the longest and most populated road in the province; the private road stretches seven kilometres, and has 127 families living along its expanse.

Residents of King’s Road have been complaining for years over who is responsible to pay for what on their road. “I’ve known about this problem for a long time,” said Dalrymple. “They have been unable to find a solution for many, many years.”

Kings Road is a private road, and because of that factor, neither the HRM nor the province will assist the residents with road maintenance. People who reside there have been left to fend for themselves, a factor which has led to disagreements and disputes among neighbours.

Dalrymple said Kings Road residents have formed an association to deal with this matter, and they have gone door-to-door delivering fliers and notices about a public information meeting, which was held recently. “What they are basically looking for,” said Dalrymple, “is to enter into an agreement with the HRM, to have the HRM collect their road maintenance fees for them.” The Association for Kings Road would set a budget saying how much they will need to do the maintenance, which includes plowing, sanding, fixing pot holes, etc. That budget would be approved by HRM and HRM would then collect those fees for them, so they have a set standard amount of income, allowing them to be certain of how much money they have to keep their road in good condition.

According to Dalrymple, the Association and its members passed the first ballot a few months ago. “They had to reach a sixty-six and two-third percent approval under the HRM bylaws, and they did,” said the Councillor. “I think they were up into the seventy percent bracket, and that is over what they needed for a “yes”. They passed all requirements.

Dalrymple said a report on the Kings Road maintenance issue is being prepared by the HRM’s Finance Dept., and it will be brought to Council in late January or early February. The Councillor said he does not yet know the cost of the fee each resident will be required to pay for the maintenance of the road.