At a recent Petawawa town council meeting, Mayor Serviss introduced and welcomed Lauren McKey, who presented a proposal to amend Petawawa’s Property Standards By-law. McKey thanked the council for the opportunity and highlighted areas that require clearer language and stronger enforcement measures.
In her presentation, McKey emphasized the advantages of shifting away from traditional manicured lawns. She explained the benefits of naturalized lawns, including improved soil stabilization, increased pollinator activity, reduced water usage, and lower greenhouse gas emissions from lawn maintenance.
McKey also proposed updating the by-law to support naturalized landscaping options and suggested introducing new regulations to address wildlife feeding practices. She encouraged the town to explore these considerations in future updates.
Mayor Serviss thanked McKey for her detailed presentation, noting that staff are already reviewing potential revisions to the by-law. He confirmed that her input would be considered in the upcoming discussions.
(Written by: Emma Butler)