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Cranbrook, BC (September 20, 2022) – Council endorsed a petition process on Tuesday night to allow residents of Shadow Mountain to determine if a new sanitary sewer force main should be built connecting the development to the City of Cranbrook’s sewage treatment system, through a Local Area Service (LAS) bylaw. 

A temporary onsite sewer holding tank system that requires storing and trucking of sewage under a permit currently services Shadow Mountain.

An LAS may be initiated either by owners of property in the proposed local area or by the municipal Council. In this instance, the City is looking to establish a local area service to provide sewer service to only a segment of the municipality (Shadow Mountain), with all costs of the service paid for by the property owners within that area through a parcel tax. The cost of this project is not borne by the general taxpayer.

The petition process is unique as it is a “petition against”.  Anyone against the project must vote; it is not a petition for the project. A “successful petition” or “sufficient petition” means that enough owners voted against the project to prevent the project from moving forward. This petition is only open to those owning property within the Shadow Mountain development.

“The City is attempting to develop this project on behalf of the various landowners and strata properties at Shadow Mountain,” says Curtis Penson, Manager of Engineering for the City of Cranbrook. “If the LAS petition is not successful to fund the proposed sewer system project proposed by the City this will no longer be a City lead project, the onsite sewer system permits will need to be renewed between Shadow Mountain and Interior Health and the Ministry of Environment.”

Residents and property owners at Shadow Mountain will receive a notice package in the mail about the proposed sanitary sewer project and the LAS in the coming days.  Those interested in submitting a vote against this proposed project must file their submission to the City of Cranbrook no later than 4:00pm MT on Monday, October 31, 2022.

To help property owners of Shadow Mountain understand the scope of the project, and learn about the LAS you can visit www.cranbrook.ca/shadowmountain.  

Along with information about the LAS, maps and a Q&A section, a special search feature is available which residents and property owners of Shadow Mountain may enter their address to find details on the impact this local area service bylaw will have on their parcel tax.  

A virtual Open House has been scheduled on Tuesday October 18, 2022 at 6:00pm. For owners wishing to participate in the virtual Open House more information can be found at the City’s website https://cranbrook.ca/shadowmountain/.

The overall proposed timeline of this project should the LAS move ahead, the City would issue an invitation to tender for construction of the sanitary sewer work in early 2023, with substantial project completion by the end of 2023 and the collection of the parcel tax beginning in the summer of 2024.