City dings homeowners for sidewalk replacement

REGINA – Homeowners on Grant Drive received notice from the city mid-February, expecting them to dish out over $7,000.

The city says the sidewalk, curb and gutter needs to be replaced. And property owners will have to pitch in, on top of their property taxes.

“My sidewalks are fine and if I have to replace them, I can get it cheaper than $7,500,” said Terry Ennis, a Regina homeowner.

The total project will cost $3 million dollars – 81 per cent of which the city will pay, and 19 per cent will come from the homeowners.

“The city has been doing the local improvement program for decades and we just hope this year all the property improvements will be approved and we can move forward with reconstructing,” said Adam Homes, the city’s director of roadways and transportation services.

Each resident has the option to either pay a lump sum averaging over $7,500 or an annual fee of more than $1,000 for 10 years.

“We all want to see the sidewalks improve. But at a cost like that, it should be up to a group of people whether we would go ahead and do it,” said Paul Flengeris, another homeowner on Grant Drive.

Property owners can petition the city and if 50 per cent oppose the work, it won’t go ahead.

In fact, the residents on Grant Road did just that in 2010, but now are being asked to pay 75 per cent more for the same repair job.