Another sidewalk removal planned

Duane Hicks

With a second phase of reconstruction scheduled to take place on Third Street East this summer, the town is planning to tear up the south sidewalk on the 300 block (between Portage and Victoria Avenue).
Reading a report from Operations and Facilities manager Doug Brown, Coun. Rick Wiedenhoeft noted Monday that stretch of sidewalk is being eyed “due to its substandard condition, its low frequency of use, the cost to reconstruct the sidewalk, and the maintenance cost to maintain the additional sidewalk.”
“This is consistent with our new official plan, and also consistent with our current practice for sidewalk removal and renewal,” he added.
Coun. Wiedenhoeft brought the matter forward to highlight to the residents what the town’s intentions are.
However, an open house will be held in April to let all property owners abutting the construction project know what’s going on, he noted, adding the sidewalk removal probably will come up for discussion then.
Brown pointed out that while the plan right now is to remove the south sidewalk, the Third Street East project also includes upgrades to the north sidewalk between Portage and McKenzie Avenue.
He explained that span of sidewalk was to be done as a local improvement, but was denied after property owners did not want to pay for it.
“But it is in a poor state and it has to be upgraded, so we are spending money on upgrading the sidewalk [on the north side] and we are spending money on removing the sidewalk on the south side,” Brown noted.
The town had planned last year to remove the north sidewalk on the 200 block of Third Street East, but changed its mind after being presented with a petition from upset residents.
The Third Street East project comprises Phase II of Tender 11-09-2011 (roadway reconstruction and watermain improvements), which council awarded to Wagner Construction Canada ULC at an estimated cost of $1,228,621.88 (including HST and a contingency allowance of $100,000).
The tender includes:
•210 metres of new roadway;
•225 metres of replacements and upgrades to the storm sewer system;
•262 metres of replacement watermains and other pertinent water system infrastructure; and
•256 metres of replacement sanitary sewer lines and other pertinent sanitary sewer system infrastructure.
While the town’s 2012 capital budget is not finalized yet, the projects covered by this tender will not affect taxation as the funding for them is provided by sewer reserves and user fees, water user fees, and the federal gas tax revenue.