Some areas should be cut from Three Rivers amalgamation, says IRAC

P.E.I.'s Island Regulatory and Appeals Commission has delivered its final report to the provincial government on the proposed Three Rivers amalgamation in the eastern part of the Island.

IRAC says the new municipality should go ahead, but it recommends excluding some of the unincorporated areas which were supposed to be included.

It suggests carving out all or parts of these communities:

• Kinross.
• Bellevue.
• Grandview.
• Riverton.
• Martinvale.
• Corraville.
• Cardross.
• Glenfanning.

In its report IRAC said some of those areas feel closer ties to other communities, such as Morell or Belfast. Including them in Three Rivers could affect future amalgamations.

"The proposed boundaries limit the ability of Belfast or Central Kings to expand their boundaries," the report reads.

More than 1,500 written objections were filed to IRAC about the amalgamation. IRAC noted 568 were from residents of the proposed municipality.

The largest number of objections from any single community, 211, came from Summerside. There were 120 from Freetown and 112 from Kensington.

Consistent land use planning

One important benefit of amalgamation, said IRAC, will be a single set of land use rules being applied across a larger area.

"The present situation where one side of a river or body of water is governed by one set of land development rules and regulations, and the land on the other side of the water governed by different rules and regulations, must change," the report said.

It's now up to cabinet to decide whether to follow IRAC's recommendation.

More P.E.I. news

With files from Kerry Campbell