A proposal to redevelop the former Sun Parlour School has prompted Essex council to take a closer look at expanding its municipal boundaries.
The property is located in Lakeshore, but its water and sanitary sewer services come from Essex.
Council voted Tuesday night to support, in principle, continuing those services at 492 Maidstone Avenue West as part of a proposed recreation and commercial redevelopment. The municipality will now negotiate a servicing agreement with the property owner and the Municipality of Lakeshore.
However, the discussion shifted to a larger issue: whether Essex should pursue annexation of nearby lands that rely on, or want access to, Essex infrastructure.
Ward 1 coun. Katie McGuire-Blais said Essex has recently received multiple requests from properties in Lakeshore seeking access to municipal services.
“I think that now is the time that we start changing our boundaries. This is now the second property in Lakeshore that’s come to us to ask us to use our resources, and I think that now is the time for us to go ahead and start that ball rolling,” said McGuire-Blais.
She argued Essex needs to consider what it gets in return for providing services to developments outside the municipality.
“The only thing we’re going to be getting out of this is user rates for the water. I don’t think it’s enough to be quite honest. They’re going to be using our roads, they’re going to be using all of our utilities. And so we have to take that into consideration when we are approving something like this,” she said.
McGuire-Blais said the town should begin the annexation conversation sooner rather than later.
“I don’t think it’s time for a new term of council. I think it’s time right now because we do know that it’s going to be lengthy. We do know that it’s going to include multiple tiers of government and I don’t think that we should wait any longer,” said McGuire-Blais.
Council unanimously directed administration to report back on the process, timelines and considerations for potential annexation of nearby lands as part of the town’s local settlement area review.
The original servicing proposal will also return to council. Administration says any future agreement would initially apply only to the existing school building, with any expansion requiring additional council approval.