Kensington unsightly premises bylaw will have more teeth

The Town of Kensington, P.E.I., has developed a new dangerous and unsightly property bylaw that will give town officials more authority to take action when problems arise.

If the bylaw is passed into law, town officials will be able to go on to properties and investigate complaints, something they haven't been able to do under the existing bylaw.

"We had about two or three years ago ... one property in town that was unsightly was one of the things but it was also a safety hazard and rodents and everything else," said Kensington Mayor Rowan Caseley.

"And we ended up having to go to the courts to get permission from the courts to actually go on the property."

The town ended up demolishing the property, Caseley said, at considerable expense.

Keep the grass cut

Unsightly premises are not a big problem in Kensington, he said, but the new bylaw will give officials a clear action plan if problems arise. It is similar to such bylaws in other municipalities, Caseley said.

The bylaw will spell out certain property standards including grass height of no more than eight inches, or 20 centimetres.

"We have had one property that we've dealt with every year, every summer," Caseley said. "It was becoming a bit of a nuisance for the neighbours."

There will also be rules about derelict vehicles. A vehicle left on a property longer than 30 days will be considered derelict and the town will be able to ask for it to be removed.

The new bylaw has passed first reading and will go for a second reading at the March 11 council meeting.

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