ELORA – The township will pay its own way as it cleans up an unoccupied building in downtown Elora that collapsed last week.
Council delegated authority to chief administrative officer Dan Wilson at a special meeting on March 3, to finalize and execute a temporary access and demolition agreement for the structure at 25 West Mill St. in Elora.
The agreement also includes associated legal and consulting engineering costs, funded from the general capital reserve.
On Feb. 24, the roof and parts of the walls of the stone building collapsed, presumably under the weight of snow.
The Elora Greenspace is located at 25 West Mill Street, a property owned by Suncor Energy Inc. and leased to Centre Wellington.
The building that collapsed is situated in the northwest corner of the property near Francis Lane and shares a wall with 43 West Mill St., both of which are owned by Kat Florence Corporation.
“There’s a pressing need to clean up the property,” Wilson told council.
“We have been in conversation with Kat Florence and Suncor.”
Wilson presented a draft agreement between the township and Kat Florence, which wanted to participate in the demolition and clean-up since part of the debris is located on their property.
As part of the agreement, Kat Florence will allow access through its properties for clean up and demolition.
The company offered to pay the township’s legal and consulting engineer costs, but council thought a firm line needed to be drawn between private and public funds.
Councillor Kim Jefferson noted there are already rumblings in the community that Kat Florence is getting preferential treatment from the township and thought it wise to remove any “insinuation of influence,” she said.
“I just feel to keep the mind clear and not to muddy the waters, we should cover our own costs,” she said.
Councillor Barb Evoy was absent from the meeting but the rest of council voted unanimously in support of the amended agreement, which states the township will pay for its engineering and legal fees.
A building at the corner of Metcalfe and Mill streets in Elora collapsed on the afternoon of Feb. 24. OPP photo
