Executive summary
- A Municipal Consent (MC) is the municipality’s authorization for a utility or private infrastructure to occupy a specific location within the City’s rights of way.
- The permit allows for installations to occur within standard utility corridors and alignments that are established to avoid conflicts between existing, proposed and future utility and municipal infrastructure.
- MC’s are only issued to companies or persons who have the authority to construct, operate and maintain their infrastructure within the right of way.
- The objective of the bylaw is to provide for the efficient review of applications for third party installations within the City of Burlington right of way to ensure that the City receives the information necessary to effectively fulfill its responsibilities.
- Standards and processes for the design and construction within the municipal right of way ensure that required safety criteria and procedures are being followed and adhered to, clearances and separations are maintained, and that physical space is optimally utilized.
- Adherence to these requirements will protect the interests of the City of Burlington, the community and utilities occupying the right of way.
Climate implications
- Through the Municipal Consent process staff can better schedule and protect for construction in the public right of way by external parties to ensure that the roadway and city assets are not unnecessarily removed and replaced before their end of life cycle thus reducing the amount of waste generated from construction within Burlington.
- As well proposed works are reviewed to minimize impacts to trees within the right of way.
- Right of way trees are an important component of the city’s natural infrastructure providing many benefits including mitigating the heat island effects from road surfaces and enhancing the streetscape design.