Road money wasted on other road

 In Letters, Opinion

Editor:

Re: Tardif letter (December 10, 2021) and Wesetvik letter (December 24, 2021)

Both writers question Clearview council’s decision not to proceed with speed calming measures recommended by the consultants council hired. Ironically, council and staff approved speed reduction measures but inexplicably seem reluctant to allocate the necessary funds to implement them. The cost in question is in the ballpark of $50,000.

I believe some context and perspective is needed.

For more than a decade, three successive Clearview councils have been trying to close the western end of County Road 91 (the section west of Duntroon roughly from Concession 10 North to the Townline).

To do this, they had to propose an alternative east/ west route across the escarpment. Their choice was to develop an unimproved municipal road down the Escarpment, Sideroad 26/27.

So far, the legal, planning and engineering costs have exceeded $1 million.

The municipality’s proposal is opposed by Grey County, Grey Highlands, and the Town of the Blue Mountains.

Its applications have been rejected twice by the Niagara Escarpment Commission. Community groups such as the Blue Mountain Watershed Trust and numerous individuals have opposed the proposal. As recently as November of 2021, the Ministry of Environment Parks and Conservation has called into question the township’s choice of an A+ environmental assessment for the development, putting the whole development temporarily on ice.

The best estimate of the cost of the 1.74 km road development is around $4 million to $5 million. The road is on Clearview’s western boundary and, in reality, will benefit few Clearview taxpayers.

Another Clearview resident, John Miller, writing in the December 10 issue of The Echo, said “…we are in dire need to put a plan in place as to how we are going to fund the necessary road repairs in our municipality.”

Makes you wonder about Clearview council’s priorities.

Doug Dingeldein,

Singhampton.

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Comments
  • Lorrie Gillis
    Reply

    Good letter Doug. Come on Clearview council. Time to drop this pointless and costly push to close existing access for a major road down between two counties.

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