The “jail house” look of their downtown is not sitting well with residents here.
Councillor Kelly Linton began the discussion at the Jan. 17 meeting of Centre Wellington council by saying he liked the focus of the local economic development committee and the things they are doing.
“But the one thing residents of Elora are asking is about the ‘jail look’ to the downtown,” he said, specifically referring to the fences around the PetroCanada property and the Elora Mill Inn.
Linton asked if this was something discussed at the economic development committee.
Fences have been around the clean-up of the PetroCanada site at the corner of Mill and Metcalfe Streets for some time, while more recently fences were erected around the Elora Mill property, which is undergoing renovations. The mill itself will be closed for over a year as those renovations occur.
Councillor Kirk McElwain, who chairs the committee, said the issue has been discussed, specifically regarding the Elora Mill Inn.
“We’ve been talking with them and putting together a plan for cleaning it up and making it look a little more inviting,” McElwain said.
However, with the PetroCanada situation, McElwain said the local BIA has been leading the charge regarding the fence.
“They’d been hoping to get it cleaned up before Christmas – that did not happen,” he said.
McElwain pointed out the fencing around the mill is an insurance requirement.
“They’ve got it closed off themselves. It’s not us,” he added.
Mayor Joanne Ross-Zuj said the fencing is mandatory on any construction site. She pointed to similar fencing at the OPP detachment under construction in Aboyne.
“It’s just unfortunate,” Linton said.
“We’ll all be celebrating in a year’s time, when it is all finished,” Ross-Zuj added.
