Will the tax increase give condominium owners a sidewalk?
By Lethbridge Herald on December 28, 2022.
Editor:
A recent letter to the Herald stated “A high quality of life is worth the extra amount of property taxes.” Will an extra 5.1 per cent on top of what I already pay for living in a condominium get me a sidewalk to walk upon?
I moved into Grandview Village condominium five-and-a-half years ago. To date I do not have a sidewalk to walk on. I have four choices: a shale covered path, two parking lots, the middle of the road (particularly in winter when there are snow drifts across the road) or on a sloped and uneven boulevard which can be muddy.
I do a lot of walking and picking garbage as I walk. There is a shiny new pedestrian bridge over Crowsnest Trail East, opened last spring.
To access this bridge I can walk on the road or boulevard and cross Scenic Drive and four lanes of traffic. There is a circuitous route using the sidewalk on the west side of Toys ’R’ Us and east side of Scenic Drive to 1st Ave S. But who does that when there are shortcuts? Last summer, I also had the choice of fighting my way through weeds up to my armpits to the new lights on Scenic and 1st Ave N.
The condominium is a 55 plus independent living facility. Many residents use canes, walkers and scooters to mobilize and be physically, socially and mentally active. How can we when the boulevard is uneven and muddy or overgrown with weeds, the streets are poorly plowed in winter and traffic is coming from four directions?
Grandview Village has been paying taxes to the city for services for 30 years. The services should include a sidewalk to walk on. We paid over $250,000 this past year. Would the city consider using $100,000 to give us a sidewalk in the coming year on two-and-a-half sides of the property? For 5.1 per cent I believe it is time to figure out who is responsible for this oversight.
Edna Mackenzie
Lethbridge
10-9
I wouldn’t hold my breath if I were you. The house I moved into in ’91 was scheduled for new sidewalks the next year. 24 years later when I moved it hadn’t been done. You do live in a grey zone as far as city owned property. Park place mall is owned by the city but all maintenance is done privately. 3 st south when plowed is done by the company that does park place. We all want the city to provide better service but that is a ship that sailed a long time ago. Lethbridge is the 2nd highest taxed municipality by property values in Alberta, at least it was 4 years ago by the story i read. I encourage you to keep pushing and wish you luck.