Frequently Asked Questions

The cost share is now 40% the City, 60% the Property Owner.

Property owners are charged based on the length of the frontage of their property, with 75% relaxation for side yards.

The Community Charter requires that a minimum of 50% of property owners, representing a minimum of 50% of land values sign a petition, for an Local Area Service project to be considered.

Local Area Service projects are prioritized based on:

1. Coordinating Local Area Service curb and gutter work with repaving where the existing pavement is in poor condition
2. On a first come, first served basis

On streets where the front yards are steep, it is more challenging to construct curb and gutter. In these cases alternate designs can be considered, such as "parking pockets" or narrowed streets with no parking on one side.

The cost of an Local Area Service project can vary significantly from block to block. City staff will prepare a design and a cost estimate, once the home owners on a block indicate that there is initial support for an Local Area Service project. As part of the formal petition, property owners will be provided with the cost of the project, so they can use this information to decide whether or not to support the project.

For Local Area Service projects that go forward, each property owner has the option of paying their share of the cost up front as a lump sum, or in payments (interest and principle) over time (typically a 15 year period).

In cases where a property already has a curb in place, the owners of that property will not be included in the petition process, and will not be assessed any of the costs of an Local Area Service curb and gutter project.

In blocks where the City’s Strategic Transportation Plan has indicated that a sidewalk is needed, the sidewalk would typically be included in the Local Area Service project.

In blocks where redevelopment (i.e. significant subdivisions, rezonings, etc.) is anticipated in a short timeframe, Local Area Service projects would typically not be supported as these improvements would typically be part of the redevelopment.  

Local Area Service projects are usually considered by all property owners within a block, and constructed in segments that are one block long. In other words, Local Area Service projects are not normally considered for only portions of a block. An exception to this would be on blocks where some of the street already has curb and gutter, and the Local Area Service project is completing the curb and gutter for the block.