Wellington North Mayor Mike Broomhead wants to dispel any notion that the Wells Street extension proposal in Arthur is completely off the table.
A document given to council recently as part of the works committee report noted engineering on the street was started in 2004 to address servicing of the Colonel Peel property, which would include the construction of Wells and Macaulay Streets.
Broomhead said the summary was created to show people where the project stands. He said there’s a perception nothing has gone on regarding the street, “but the reality is that quite a bit has gone on.”
He said part of the issue with Wells Street comes down to grant availability and contributions from abutting property owners, or those who benefit from a new road.
To date the engineering work for roads, water and sewer work comes to $147,359.
Further engineering is required to get approvals from the Grand River Conservation Authority, the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Ministry of the Environment.
Works Superintendent Gary Williams noted there are also property matters to be dealt with for the storm sewer outlet and culvert extension design, regardless of the type of road to be constructed. The cost for that work is $25,000-plus.
“The estimated cost to construct Wells Street to township semi-urban standards is $2.1- to $2.35-million,” Williams said.
“This would include sanitary sewers, watermains, drainage and a road with a 7.3m paved surface, 1.5m gravel shoulders, but does not include a second lift of asphalt.
“That design would service the lands all for development once sewage capacity becomes available.”
Even the cost to build it as a gravel road is pricey.
“The estimate to construct Wells Street to a gravel road (including ditch excavation) in accordance to township standards would be $1- to $1.2-million, depending on the final road width. Money spent constructing the road would be lost when servicing gets done at a later date, which would require full reconstruction of the road.”
The report also indicated there are a number of items to consider:
– the Arthur sewage treatment plant capacity issues must be addressed before any development can take place;
– preliminary watermain modeling indicates the current water towers cannot provide fire protection for the future development lands along Wells Street;
– the majority of the land on the north side of the road would never be developed;
– current township policies are such that roads built in urban ares must also include services. Also, those property owners who benefit from the upgrade and servicing of new roads or extension of services on existing roads are required to contribute to the cost of that work;
– Wells Street construction and services is included in the township’s development charges services plan and as those fees are collected they are used for projects identified in the plan;
– recent federal and provincial government funding was aimed at the enhancement and renewal of the existing aging public infrastructure; and
– truck traffic is normally directed to roads that are designed for that type of volume and traffic.
