Summerside may have to expropriate land for new roundabout

The City of Summerside, P.E.I. has set the wheels in motion to expropriate four parcels of land in the north end of the city to construct a new roundabout.

The roundabout will go at the corner of Central Street and Pope Road,part of a major realignment for that section of road which will also include new sidewalks and upgrades to exits to businesses in the area.

Coun. Justin Doiron, chair of the technical services committee, saidthe city needsabout a half dozen parcels of land for the roundabout. It was able to negotiate deals with some landowners, butit was not able to strike a deal with the owners offour properties, so the city is moving to expropriate them.

"What those resolutions were tonight was serving notice of our intention to expropriate," Doiron said following a meeting of Summerside city council Monday night.

Independent, third-party appraiser hired

The vote on expropriation will be in February, Doiron said.

In the meantime, the city will continue to negotiate with the landowners, which include one commercial and three residential lots, in an effort to come to a negotiated agreement.If no agreement is reached by next month's council meeting, the city will proceed with expropriation, he said. The city hired an independent, third-party appraiser to come up with a price for the land.

Doiron said these are small parcels of land.

"Nobody is going to have to relocate. It is minimal impact on homeowners, landowners and business owners," he said.

'We just want safety'

Coun. Barb Ramsay said the intersection is dangerous. She is glad to see it's finally going to be fixed.

"It's not lined up, there are no sidewalks, they've tried to adjust it a number of years ago. That didn't work," said Ramsay.

"We just want safety for our residents."

Construction is expected to begin on the new roundabout in the spring. The cost of the project is still not known.

Doiron said the city has been trying to get this section of road upgraded for nearly three decades.

"There has already been improvements to that intersection," said Doiron, adding that lanes at the intersection have been widened.

"It's not like they haven't addressed the problem before; it's just population grows, traffic increases. It's time to really solve it for good."

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