By Tiffany Goodwein

Council approves bylaw allowing temporary road on private land for access to businesses during construction

Jun 15, 2020 | 11:33 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – A temporary road will be built on private land in order to allow 4^th Avenue NE businesses access during the closure of Altawana Drive NE between Parkview Drive NE and 4^th Avenue NE. The area will be closed so that crews can realign existing water and sewer lines as part of the second phase of the Brier Park Gravity Bypass project.

The bylaw is new for the city and Medicine Hat City Council voted to approve the temporary road and right-of-way bylaw at their meeting Monday.

Other options for access were considered, but due to the terrain and high traffic nature of Altawana NE, they were deemed unfeasable.

“It would be very difficult for us to gain access down to those businesses. So in this particular case an agreement was struck with the private land owner to allow a temporary road to cross their lands so that the businesses can remain open during the construction period,” explained Commissioner Brad Maynes.

According to the staff report, the Municipal Government Act, through a bylaw does allow the building of a temporary road or right-away on private land. The owner and occupant are entitled to compensation for the use of their land, which the city says they will provide.

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“Here we are in COVID-19 and enough businesses are being shut down and unemployment, and here we are allowing businesses to keep operating,” Coun. Phil Turnbull said.

The city staff report said the temporary road is intended to be in place from July 1 2020 to August 31, 2020.