ERIN – Longtime Erin resident Christina Costa says the handling of a trail near Centre 2000 is an example of how municipal officials are “ruining” the town “to appease new people.”
She came to council on May 23 to outline her concerns, which began four years ago.
One day in 2020, while working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic, Costa heard grass being cut. She found a man riding a lawn mower, cutting down overgrown shrubs at the edge of her backyard gate.
She said Erin parks and recreation officer Dee-Enna Dube told her the grass was cut in error.
But to Costa’s surprise, the grass was cut once again a few months later.
According to Costa, people began using the “erroneously cut” path for walking their dogs, sledding and teenage parties.
“I’ve lived here quietly for 10 years … my home is my sanctuary,” she said.
Attempts to rectify the path were made in 2020, when Costa first notified the town of the issue. Snow fences were placed to allow the grass to grow, and town officials promised to spread wildflowers, Costa explained.
Four years later, she stood in front of council to again plead her case.
“The fence was removed, and the wildflowers never did grow,” she said.
The ground was too worn down by the public for anything to have a chance to grow, she told the Advertiser.
The property in question is part of Centre 2000 grounds and owned by the town.
Costa said she can understand the need for growth and renovations in the community, but residents who pay taxes deserve a say.
“This is not an efficient use of town resources when there is so much to do here,” Costa said.
“We are ruining this town for people who have been here for so long to appease new people.”
She asked council to divert the paths far away from four May Street homes that back onto the area to uphold residents’ “privacy, home values and noise reduction.”
Mayor Michael Dehn, told council chief administrative officer (CAO) Rob Adams is “actively” working on a solution.
According to Adams, staff’s plan is to look at possible options and see how they can address the concern.
“Most of the residents back there actually have quite dense vegetation; it’s really hard to see into the backyards,” Adams told the Advertiser.
He noted behind the houses is a berm with trees on top that can provide privacy to residents.
The timeframe has not yet been disclosed, but staff will update council on the issue at a later date, Adams added.
