News Release - Court Ordered Clean Up Nearly Complete on Rural Property

(GREATER NAPANEE, ON) – The Town of Greater Napanee has completed Phase 2 of the court-ordered cleanup at 1388 Bridge Street. 

The property at 1388 Bridge Street was ordered to be brought into compliance with the Town’s zoning and property maintenance by-laws by June 1, 2026, following the discovery of unsafe living conditions and illegal dwellings.  

The Town recently completed Phase 2 of the property cleanup, which included the removal of more than 180 tonnes of construction debris, household and human waste, propane and acetylene tanks, and other materials that violated Town by-laws. Earlier this summer, Phase 1 was completed, resulting in the removal of more than 30 trailers from the site. 

The combined cost of both phases totaled $227,000, including taxes and disposal fees. Final costs exceeded initial estimates as additional materials requiring removal were discovered throughout the cleanup process. The total does not account for legal expenses, staff time, or the significant impact on municipal services, particularly by-law enforcement operations. 

The cleanup follows nearly two years of efforts to work with the property owner to bring the property into compliance, as well as previous orders issued by the Greater Napanee Fire Department to remove wood-burning appliances from trailers that were deemed unsafe for occupants.

The Town will forward the $227,000 cleanup bill to the property owner in the coming days. If the bill remains unpaid, the Town has the authority under the court order to add the outstanding costs to the property owner's tax bill.

“It is unfortunate that the Town had to seek the court’s assistance to address the issues at 1388 Bridge Street, which was effectively operating as an illegal trailer park with very unsafe and unsanitary conditions,” said Matthew Grant, Chief Administrative Officer. “The Town will be billing the property owner for the work that had to occur here, as Council has been very clear that these costs are not to be paid by taxpayers.”

The Town is currently working with the property owner through the legal process required for a large structure built on the property without permits. If the required permits are not obtained, the Town will undertake a third phase of cleanup to remove the structure and its contents from the property.

Town staff will be bringing a full report to Council at the end of September on the work that has been completed to date. 

Media Contact: 

Kylie Huffman  

Community Engagement & Communications Coordinator  

Town of Greater Napanee 

T: 613-776-1116 

E: khuffman@greaternapanee.com  

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