Duane Hicks
With work on Central Avenue wrapping up this fall, the town now will turn to rehabilitating Scott Street from Reid Avenue to Colonization Road East as its 2009-10 “Connecting Link” capital project.
At last night’s regular meeting, council approved a report from Operations and Facilities manager Doug Brown to direct the town’s consultant, KGS Group, to widen this section of King’s Highway to a four-lane highway for future development and expansion.
As a result, the south sidewalk between Minnie Avenue and Colonization Road East will be eliminated.
“We are in the throes of designing this project right now, and . . . since we’re going to do everything from the bottom up—which would be sewer and watermains, connections, curb and gutter, paving—we are going to design it with the removal of the sidewalk from Reid Avenue to Colonization Road East on the south side to allow for widening of this road to a four-lane,” Coun. Paul Ryan said.
“Since we’re piling all this money into this, we need to be looking forward to the future, and some day, when it’s four lanes right through, we’ll have this section completed,” he added.
Several councillors clarified that because of the Shevlin wood yard, the sidewalk on the south side of the street only stretches from Minnie Avenue to Colonization Road East (not all the way from Reid Avenue).
Coun. Rick Wiedenhoeft emphasized only the south sidewalk would be removed, and that pedestrians still will be able to access that part of town via the north sidewalk.
In his report, Brown noted the town eliminated the south sidewalk along First Street East between Williams Avenue and Colonization Road East in 2005 and there was no public outcry.
Also at last night’s meeting, council:
•approved a request from Dryden Municipal Telephone System to lease space on the water tower for a cellular antenna, and directed that an authorizing bylaw be prepared;
•received a presentation from Fort Frances Chamber of Commerce first vice-president Cathy Emes regarding the 2009 budget, as well as letters from Dino D’Agostini and June Caul (this information will be considered in the 2009 budget process);
•approved applications for tax adjustment for properties at 1100 First St. E., 800 McKenzie Ave., and 1017 Cornwall Ave.;
•referred a request from the Fort Frances Salvation Army for a designated parking spot in front of the citadel to the Planning and Development executive committee for its recommendation, with input from the Administration and Finance executive committee;
•referred a request from L. Webb regarding the purchase of a lane running north/south between the house located at 834 Portage Ave. and the former gymnastics club building to the Planning and Development executive committee for its recommendation, with input from the town clerk;
•referred a request from M. Carmody regarding the purchase of property located on McIrvine Road to the Planning and Development executive committee for its recommendation;
•passed a bylaw to amend Bylaw No. 57/05 (the Business Licensing Bylaw) respecting transmodal containers;
•passed a bylaw to authorize entering into a lease renewal agreement with Walter Seis at the Fort Frances Municipal Airport (the agreement expires Aug. 31, 2013);
•received information regarding a Ministry of Tourism competitiveness study and agreed to have Mayor Roy Avis and Fort Frances CAO Mark McCaig attend a meeting in Kenora on Sept. 30 to make a presentation regarding the relocation of the Ontario Tourist Information Centre here; and
•agreed to have Coun. Rick Wiedenhoeft attend a “Building Healthy Communities” conference in Kenora on Oct. 1.
