STREET ENCROACHMENTS

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2859, 25 August 1916, Page 6

STREET ENCROACHMENTS

THE POLICY OF THE COUNCIL.

Encroachments on tho streets of -.hillside districts adjacent to the city by owners of properties fronting' to thoso streets are a perpetual sourco of trouble to the City Council authoriMost often the encroachment is raaclejirst, and the permission of the councii_ is asked only after a council officer has pointed the fact out to the owner. It occurs sometimes, also, that the present owner is not the man who made the encroachment,' having bought the section under the'belief that all the fenced area belonged to tho section. So serious has tho practice become that in some streets tho proper road boundaries aro in danger of total obliteration, and.a new, complete survey may be required at some time in the future.

Tho following recommendation of tho Outlying Districts Committee was approved by the City Council last night to determine the policy to be followed by the council in future in regard to all such cases:— '

"The committee have to report that they have reconsidered the conditions stipulated by the council ..in connection with tho use of portions of unformed roadway .in the outlying districts by adjoining property-owners, and they have to recommend as,follows:

"1. That in all cases of: encroachment on the unformed .road reservation tho persons encroaching shall bo required to s sign an agreement to be prepared by the City Solicitor, to which will bo attached a skotcli plan showing the portion of reservation occupied. A- nominal fee of 10s. 6d. for tho preparation of the agreement and plan shall be paid by the encroacher.

"2. That in substitution of the condition that a fence shall be erected on the correct boundary of the private property, as well as a standard type of fence to bo approved hy the City Engineer erected on the line between the footpath and the unformed road reservation, a condition shall be stipulated requiring the erection of two special posts four inches by four inches on the correct boundary of the property, close to the side boundaries, such posts to be painted white and showing at least eighteen inches out of the 'ground, and to bo sunk in the ground to a depth of at least twelve inches.

"3. That in all cases the rental'to be fixed by the City Valuer shall be paid."