GRAVENHURST - A small gap in town policy has been sewed up on Sutherland Way and anyone now found parking in front of the pond there will face fines or towing of their vehicle.
Chief municipal bylaw enforcement officer Jim Wouters presented council with a proposed fire route along the street and got their endorsement Oct. 16, officially enacting a no parking zone between lots No. 1008 and No. 1012 where a pond is supposed to be kept open for emergency fire access.
He said originally, it was part of the subdivision agreement that the zone would be identified, but signs were never erected. He said confidential requests from residents had come into the bylaw department that the area be cordoned off from parking and upon investigating the request, it was discovered that the zone was to be parking-free anyway.
Vehicles have been parking in front of the pond, according to the complaints, and with two signs set to be erected there shortly, bylaw enforcement can now fine or see to a vehicle’s removal. The pond is to remain free of obstacles so fire vehicles can access it for water in the case of a fire.
Wouters said there are not likely any such subdivision agreements left unfulfilled in the municipality, but added it is now policy when such a caveat is created that bylaw, fire, building and the development departments all share the information so signage can be erected more immediately.
“Why it wasn’t signed (originally) I’m sorry, I can’t say,” he said. “But they should be caught, they should be signed right away.”