Sandy Beach camp and homeowners can stay for 2 years, city says
The City of Thunder Bay won't renew Sandy Beach leases, but are giving tenants two years notice before they have to go.
City officials met with leaseholders Thursday night to share the city's decision.
The leases on the Sandy Beach properties expire at the end of December, but leaseholders can choose to stay on site until the end of 2016.
The city will make offers to buy the cottages and homes that people have built.
City Manager Tim Commisso said it came down to a question of risk around the safety of water and septic systems, which do not comply with applicable environmental law.
"And that risk is not something that any of the tenants can relieve the city of, in terms of its obligations as the owner of the property," he said.
A media release from the City of Thunder Bay said, "The City has decided that it is not in the public interest to renew the leases and spend significant public funds to provide water, sewer and fuel storage services to the 26 leased properties when the City has previously decided to return the land to parkland."
Council's policy since 1974 has been to purchase and demolish the original 85 cottages as they become available, so far the city has taken over 59 of the sites.
Tenants like Elsie Hutsul said they're disappointed with the news.
The treasurer of the Sandy Beach Campers Assocation said the group had been appealing to council for a meeting to discuss possible options, before a final decision was made.
"So the decision is a surprise, because they went ahead and made it without even consulting with us, without sitting down at the table and telling us what some of their concerns were," she said.
Hutsul says the campers are going to meet and discuss what happens next, including possible legal action.
Leaseholders pay $4,000-$6,000 a year or more in lease payments and taxes to the city, according to spokespersons for the cottagers.