An easement that was at the center of a dispute between two Alix businesses only had one bid for its new lease.
Village of Alix council, after an in-camera session March 14, voted in favour of awarding the lease of the easement between Alix Shoppes and Alix Home Hardware to the hardware store.
“The village only received one bid,” said Village of Alix Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) Troy Jenkins.
Last June the Village of Alix cancelled its easement lease agreement with Alix Home Hardware. In November they passed an additional motion saying that Alix Home Hardware’s continued occupation of the lot constituted trespassing.
Alix Home Hardware is owned by Village of Alix Coun. Curt Peterson. Peterson appealed the village’s motion to cancel his lease agreement.
In November the village also cancelled its easement lease agreement with Alix Shoppes, which is owned by Marcel and Malonie Grimard.
Grimard gave the village a $25,925 invoice accusing the village of breaching its easement agreement that was in place since 1999.
The village has refused to pay the invoice and retained and followed legal advice throughout the process, said CAO Jenkins.
Malonie Grimard had previously said that losing the easement impeded their access to the Laundromat and forced them to close their business because they were only left with 17 inches of sidewalk to access the Laundromat. She said it wasn’t enough width to carry laundry baskets into the building.
CAO Jenkins said the village didn’t deny access to the Laundromat’s sidewalk.
Grimard said that the hardware store’s fence encroached on their easement and didn’t leave any space to put up outdoor tables. The Grimards also wanted the part of the easement, that was raised up, put back to its original state because they said it was causing flooding on their land.
Peterson said he didn’t know that his fence was built on Alix Shoppes’ easement and that when he erected the fence he built it exactly where a previous Village of Alix chief administrative officer instructed him to build.
Peterson said he offered to move his fence to allow Alix Shoppes room for an outdoor table and chairs.
Grimard said it wasn’t enough space.
During a February council meeting Grimard said that they are “moving on” and planning to build a fence and complete renovations.
