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Britannia Village residents have voted against having the city pay half the cost to floodproof their neighbourhood.
Bay Coun. Alex Cullen said yesterday he was disappointed that 100 property owners in the 100-year flood plain failed to get the necessary 67% support needed to build floodproofing measures to protect their homes from spring flooding along the Ottawa River.
The Monday vote showed only 39 property owners voted in favour of contributing 50% of the $390,000 cost of the project, which would be recovered over 10 years through property taxes.
Cullen said the threat of flooding is real and will happen.
“Some people are in denial that flooding will come again, others want the city to pay for the full project,” he said. “And there are still others along the shoreline who don’t want to see a meter-high berm impede their view of the Ottawa River.”
Residents of the heritage community have been lobbying for flood protection measures for many years, and earlier this year the city agreed to pay for half the cost.