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Cumberlanders have until June 10 to comment about borrowing

Cumberland residents have until June 10 to let the Village know how they feel about borrowing $1.3 million for drinking water improvements.

Cumberland residents have until June 10 to let the Village know how they feel about borrowing $1.3 million for drinking water improvements.

June 10 is the deadline to hand in elector response forms as part of the alternative approval process.

The borrowing would allow Cumberland to spend $560,000 to reconstruct the Stevens Lake dam, $450,000 to reconstruct the Cumberland No. 2 dam, and $290,000 to build an ultraviolet water treatment system.

According to a Village staff report, the elector response forms will be available as of May 1. After the June 10 deadline to submit the forms, council will consider moving forward with the borrowing process if less than 10 per cent of electors respond.

If more than 10 per cent of electors respond, council could consider cancelling the project, consider other methods to finance the project, or try to gain elector approval via a referendum.

If the process moves along with no snags, reconstruction of the Stevens Lake dam could begin in August.

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Cumberland will work in partnership with the United Riders of Cumberland (UROC) to achieve formal land access agreements for portions of the Cumberland trail network located on private land.

Cumberland council voted to enter into a Memorandum of Understanding with UROC, which will see UROC take the lead on the project with Village staff support.

Village parks and outdoor recreation co-ordinator Kevin McPhedran noted the private land the trails are on belongs to TimberWest, Hancock and Comox Lake Land Corporation. Though the trails already exist and are well-known, formal land access agreements would allow the trails to be marketed.

"What is envisioned is a formal access agreement with these landowners that would enable the Village and its partners to market the trails," McPhedran told council.

"Entering into a formal agreement would allow insurance to be purchased, the trails to be managed to a level that would allow landowners to recognize that they're there, and thereby we could market them and really develop them as a resource."

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Cumberland council voted to move forward with a proposed phased residential development.

A father and son team applied for Official Community Plan and zoning amendments for their four-hectare property on Carlisle Lane, known as the former Jaro Nursery site.

Thirty-three residential single family lots are proposed, with the father and son being the sole builders of the proposed development.

A public information meeting will be held May 9 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. in council chambers, followed by a public hearing May 29 at 7 p.m. in council chambers.

writer@comoxvalleyrecord.com