Hillsburgh businesses want travellers to know its downtown is still open – even though part of Trafalgar Road is closed this summer.
Work required on the county road requires its closure between Sideroad 19 and County Road 22 for roughly four months
Councillor Barb Tocher said she wanted councillors to be aware of of Lloyd Turbitt’s delegation regarding county signage.
Tocher explained she is a partial owner of one of the businesses in Hillsburgh.
“Because I have an interest in common with all the other businesses, I am not declaring a pecuniary interest.”
Turbitt serves as chairman of the Let’s Get Hillsburgh Growing Committee.
In his written submission Turbitt stated, “I don’t seem to be getting anywhere with the county about the signs needed because of the construction detour.”
Turbitt sought three additional signs be erected pointing out alternative routes to Hillsburgh listing local businesses open.
He asked council to approve an expenditure to create road information signs for motorists who usually traverse Trafalgar Road between Sideroad 17 and Wellington County 22 to let them know the businesses in Hillsburgh are open.
Turbitt said he and another Hillsburgh business owners attended the last Wellington County council meeting.
But, aside from one sign on Wellington County Roads 124 and 26, the pair were unsuccessful in getting any other signs of this nature.
“The businesses in Hillsburgh and quite a few residents were taken aback by the News that Trafalgar Road was to be closed for four months.”
He offered a map to show where the Hillsburgh business community would like three additional signs placed.
One of the signs would be at Brisbane near the detour sign, another would be at the detour sign at Sideroad 17 and County Road 24, and at County Road 23 near Shamrock Road.
Councillor John Brennan said the last set of e-mails he’d seen indicated the county was doing something “but you are telling me that they are not.”
Turbitt said they proposed a single sign pointing out an alternate route to Hillsburgh and how to get there.
“That sign is in place, but it is the only sign.”
Brennan clarified that council was being asked to come up with more signs.He asked roads superintendent Larry Van Wyck whether this was a municipal or county responsibility.
Van Wyck said it was a county responsibility.
Tocher asked if this was simply a sign to state Hillsburgh businesses were still open during construction.
She did not believe it was necessary to list all the businesses.
Turbitt said there was a meeting with the business community and “they’d really like that to happen (have the sign include all the business names).” He said there are a few major business that survive as a result of the drive-by traffic.
“But I don’t know how you could put some on the sign and not others.”
He said it would be useful to have at least one of the three signs list the businesses.
Tocher said that from a motorist’s perspective, if the sign listed 20 to 25 businesses, she’d never be able to read it before passing by.
She suggested a statement that all Hillsburgh businesses are open during construction would be just as helpful.
Tocher also believed the condensed wording would decrease the time needed to create the signs.Turbitt agreed it would be better to get the signs up faster, before motorists find a different route.
Brennan suggested an amendment to state all Hillsburgh businesses remain open and accessible.
Council passed a motion that the three signs be created through the roads department.
