Miltonvale Park residents vote for city sewer link-up

Miltonvale Park residents voted overwhelmingly Monday night to support a plan to update their sewer system and connect them to the City of Charlottetown, despite recent controversy.

Meanwhile, residents of the Meadowvale Park mobile home subdivision were told they will face monthly increases of $50 to hook up to the city's system and decommission a sewage lagoon.

"Something had to be done," said Walter Carver, acting chair of the Miltonvale council. "And we needed the support of the people to pass it through our budget, so we're glad that everybody was on board."

However, last week, Charlottetown Mayor Clifford Lee said no matter how people voted, he wouldn't let the community connect until the overflow problems at the city's sewage treatment plant were fixed. That would require $24 million shared by three levels of government.

Lee wasn't at the vote.

Charlottetown Coun. Edward Rice told residents at the Miltonvale Park vote that could be close to happening.

"I'm feeling very positive that the provincial part will be in," said Rice.

"Now it's up to Miltonvale, it's up to Charlottetown, Stratford, everybody to get aboard and get us to Ottawa and ask for the rest of the money to make this happen."

But Miltonvale Park officials said they're not waiting for that. They're still negotiating with city administrators, but they're moving forward on the project and said work on will start in the next month or two.

"From a financial point of view as a resident, I don't think there was a particularly good outcome to be had, but this is the least bad," said park resident Andrew Want.

Any rent increases will still have to be approved by Island Regulatory and Appeals Commission before they are put in place.