MV Council in Committee (CiC) met on August 6 for the first time since June. Members of Council listened to two delegations that focused on the intersection where Opeongo Line (Hwy 60) is met by Kelly Street to the north and Opeongo Square to the south.
Traffic safety and parking
First up was owner and broker of record at Queenswood Real Estate, Pat Scott, raising safety concerns. (Shown above with Hilary Kutchkoskie) She claimed that two motor vehicle accidents at the intersection could be attributed primarily to unsafe parallel parking along Opeongo Line that obstructs the views of motorists attempting to turn onto or cross Hwy 60. Operations Manager Hilary Kutchkoskie drew a diagram of the intersection beside Zurakowski Park for Council’s benefit showing the location of No Parking painted symbols. Scott pointed out that shoppers attending the Farmers Market or events at the Railway Station generally ignored the symbols. Kutchkoskie said similar issues had been alleviated in the past by strategic placement of municipal planters. Council discussed the effectiveness of No Parking signage given the Township’s policy of complaint-driven enforcement and directed staff to report on options for resolution including improved by-law enforcement.
Proposal from Johnston Kingdon Holdings
The second delegation came from Donald C. Johnston (shown at right). Accompanied by his son Doug Johnston (centre), he presented a proposal from Kingdon Holdings for severances for commercial development of the area just west of Zurakowski Park. Manager of Planning, Development and Licensing, Silas Lorbetski (at left), introduced the delegation saying one of the issues is how the property fronts onto municipal property; namely, the strip of land (former railbed) beside Kelly Street. Severed lots must front onto a municipal road. Lorbetski said the strip of land would need to be surveyed and declared a public street by By-Law to form part of Kelly Street in order to create lots that could be accessed from Kelly Street. Johnston said since selling his insurance business in 2001, he has tried to market the property as a single lot. Now he wanted to see if MV was sympathetic to a proposal for five smaller parcels between Zurakowski Park and Tyerman & Daughters. Johnston added he had hoped the municipality would buy it for parking, but he was now looking at severances since that offer was declined. Councillor Bromwich said commercial lots for new businesses would drive economic development. Councillor Willmer agreed saying a number of small businesses in a compact area would be beneficial for the downtown and there is a need for smaller lots. After discussion Council directed staff to investigate the options for access to Kelly Street. Lorbetski said if the municipality declares the strip of land part of Kelly Street, then Johnston would be free to pursue his application for severances with the necessary surveys, County review, etc.