Guelph-Eramosa council has agreed to designate Carters Lane in Rockwood as a fire route.
The private laneway, located off Ridge Top Crescent, east of Highway 7 on the south side of the village, “is narrow and vehicle parking [on it] can be problematic,” said bylaw enforcement officer Matthew Williamson.
Located in a “high-density residential area,” parking on the laneway could cause issues for emergency vehicle access, Williamson told council on July 8.
Councillor John Scott said designating the lane a fire route would be an “excellent move” and “very smart.”
However councillor Corey Woods questioned why the township should approve the designation. He suggested either developers should have to build all roads to municipal standards or the condo corporation should cover enforcement of parking rules on the laneway.
Representatives of the condominium corporation that owns the private laneway, who were at the meeting to provide their endorsement of the fire route designation, said private enforcement would be cost prohibitive.
Councillor Doug Breen noted provincial legislation dictating development density often trumps municipal decisions anyway. He suggested in the future the township could either try to reject all similar laneways or designate them all fire routes from the beginning.
R.J. Burnside and Associates engineer John Burns, who was at the meeting on an unrelated matter, reminded council the details of the Rockwood subdivision in question, including road width, were dictated by the Ontario Municipal Board following a hearing on the matter.
Council passed a resolution and bylaw designating Carters Lane as a fire route (Woods abstained from both votes).
The OPP will be responsible for enforcement, Williamson said, and the condo corporation for installing signs.
