The City of Summerside has announced that agreements have been reached with seven out of 10 landowners along the new East-West Housing Corridor route, with the final three agreements pending. The corridor, stretching from MacEwan Road to Water Street, is scheduled to be operational this autumn. Concerns arose on social media regarding construction commencing before finalizing all agreements.
Mayor Dan Kutcher confirmed the situation, stating that negotiations are nearing completion with two of the remaining landowners, while the third has not engaged with city officials for months. Kutcher emphasized the uniformity of agreements required from all landowners and expressed confidence in achieving resolutions with the remaining parties.
In the event of unresolved agreements, Kutcher disclosed that the city would proceed with expropriating the properties to advance the project. Highlighting the inevitability of disruptions in large-scale infrastructure developments, Kutcher underscored the city’s commitment to completing the project regardless of any dissenting landowners.
Regarding the road construction plans, Kutcher clarified that the city is not acquiring land but building the road across landowners’ properties. Subsequently, liens will be placed on properties, ensuring that landowners contribute to road costs upon future property transactions. Kutcher stressed that this method is standard for road projects and results in increased property values for landowners.
Summerside officials anticipate that the East-West Housing Corridor will unlock housing development opportunities in the city, granting access to approximately 140 hectares of land and potentially accommodating 1,200 to 2,000 new housing units. The city’s long-term documentation has outlined these plans for the past two decades, with efforts focused on reaching agreements with all landowners before resorting to expropriation measures.
The remaining landowner declined to provide comment when contacted by CBC News. The city remains optimistic about finalizing agreements and proceeding with the corridor’s completion in the coming weeks.
