4th Consession Road Closure Council Meeting - Verbatim

4^th Consession Road Closure Council Meeting

The Chair: Ok every one if we could get this meeting back to order.

We are at Public Works, and Environmental Services on pg 59 Staff Report. Staff Report

PW 12-93 gating of fourth concession of south Walsingham. Mr. D’Hondt, please or is it uh?

Mr. D’Hondt: I’ll open it up here Chair,

First, we handed out a number of colored photographs, because when you reproduce them in black and white of the lane itself that Bill uh had taken so you can refute, review that as we go along. Uh we have had a request uh by the Nature Conservatory of Canada, who owns all the land on each side of this uh unopened dirt road, referred to as the fourth concession in South Walsingham. Uh Bill has put an excellent report together, we’ve this is our third one, and probably many to come yet and our approach has been each one has to be handled on its own merits. In this case Nature Conservatory have requested it, they’re all the property owners along that property, there’s no other accesses required for that we propose as Bill has suggested they’re, making it still accessible for the walking public, plus a key for the Nature Conservatory to gain access to it. The Fire Department uh, they know these gated operations and uh we have uh told them just cut the chain, we have no problem if there’s a problem back there, some of them do have a keys, but lots of times, who worries if you have a fire out there, you’re not going to go and get the keys, just cut it or pull the fence down when you get there. Bill would you like to add anything else?

Bill Cridland: Through the Chair or County Council,

I think the only thing I’d like to add is uh, the two previous road allowances we gated um were Plowman’s Line and Bilger’s side road, both have worked out um really well. They have served the purpose the land owners down there are very happy, and um as Eric said, we have quite a few of these unmaintained road sections, which may lend themselves to being gated and road staff, this is a particular one which I looked at, but we, we kind of waited for the requests to come through and with the Nature Conservancy purchasing um Backus Woods, plus another two private people, there are only the Nature Conservancy as well as one private owner, who we have talked to. So the less people we have to deal with for the gating, the better. Um, also, this does not stop the roads department from going down and grading, trimming trees, that sort of thing, it still will um be some maintenance work, but as you can see from the photos, um, we won’t spend near as much money as we do now. I think with this one, there’s also a safety aspect, I don’t know if I mentioned in the report, but living, uh just four roads north of this, quite often in the spring and fall, you’ll see a car, a small a truck stuck there, so obviously someone has had to walk out, get a tow truck in. The locals all have stories of pulling people out of there, so, I think, with that, it’s pretty self explanatory. I’ll turn it over to county council for questions.

The Chair: Yep, Councilor Geysens

Councilor Geysens : Yeah, can I go to attachment 1, I just want clarification, in the dark area, that’s where the gates are going or are they going at each at the east quarter line and I guess at highway 59?

Bill Cridland: Through the Chair,

Councilor Geysens, Yes, it will be gated um, just off of the east quarter line on the east end and the gates will not be at 59 in the west end, that is actually a maintained road down to a, to where the bush starts. So the gate will be going or the gate will be installed at the bush lot and anybody west of there will still have access to their house.

The Chair: Mr. Oliver,

Mr. Oliver: Thank you Mr. Chairman,

and my question was similar and I appreciate Mr. Cridland’s answer, it is appropriate to have it gated at the wood lot line, but I wouldn’t have wanted to see it any, any further west than that because there will be people who to uh want to gain pedestrian access to the fourth road concession and do their tour in Backus woods from there rather than always from highway 24 or always from the south. So, uh that’s good that it would be gated only at that point. My only other question Mr. Chairman, I recall there was that one other private property right smack in the middle of the Backus woods complex on the Fourth Concession. Is that piece still privately owned or has even it now been acquired by NCC?

Bill Cridland: Through the Chair,

There still is one private, I don’t know if I can say the name property, that owns both the lot on the north side and the south, their both small pieces, but are right in the middle, so I think that is what you are referring to.

Mr. Oliver: That’s correct (at the same time as Bill)

That is what I’m referring to, and would they be given a key as well?

Bill Cridland: Yes, what we do is a horseshoe type thing which the Conservancy would have their key, and the private owner would have his key, he could go in to cut firewood and do what he wanted.

Mr. Oliver: Yep, Ok and their. . . (at the same time as Bill Cridland)

Mr. Oliver: Ok and their, so in other words, they too are ok as is NCC with this recommendation to uh gate that road?

Bill Cridland: Yes, both parties are in favor, so . . .

Mr. Oliver: Thank you.

Mr. Chairman: Councilor Columbus,

Councilor Columbus: Thank you Mr. Chairman,

To Mr. Cridland, at one time, I did observe a tractor with some equipment using this road, and I noticed on your uh, one picture here, there are tire tracks. Just wondered is this a heavily traveled road for farm equipment, during the harvest season?

Bill Cridland: Through the Chair,

I wouldn’t say um, the farming community doesn’t use it, however; with the narrow culvert, um, you couldn’t get a very big size um combine, you may get a small utility tractor across there. So, so, it, to answer your question, uh, the farming community may, may slip through there. However, with the condition of the roads, there’s times they can’t even get through with a tractor.

Councilor Columbus: Ok, thank you

The Chair: Councilor Chanyi please,

Councilor Chanyi: Thank you Mr. Chair.

Um, Having uh birded along this road, I know what a mess it can get to be, so, I’m really looking forward to the time its going to be gated and um, I would like to move the recommendation on page 61.

The Chair: Ok, Councilor Chanyi has moved the recommendation in the report. Councilor Black?

Councilor Black: Mr. Chairman,

I gotta support it, because uh, it will stop people like me going down there getting stuck. Had to be pulled out by Nick Dessarano from LPRCA once.

The Chair: Parking eh?

Ok, Councilor Chanyi has moved the recommendation in the report, which essentially says we are going to gate off a portion of Fourth Concession in South Walsingham.

All those in favor?

That is carried.