More 2017 Community Investments

Pelham Pool in Marlene Stewart Streit Park

Last week, I wrote about some roads, bridges and sidewalk improvements in Pelham’s nearly $11 million 2017 Capital Budget. Here are some other investments:

Fire Service: Each year we continue to invest in bunker gear and replacement pagers for our dedicated Firefighters. We also reserved funds in 2018 to replace the Town’s radio equipment; the Chief continues to work with other Fire Chiefs, EMS and the Police toward consolidating all Niagara emergency services onto a common communications system.

Pool Improvements: You will recall that we renovated and improved the pool house in Marlene Stewart Streit Park a couple of years ago. This year, with the help of a Federal Government grant, we will repair and replace the pool deck, sandblast the pool “bowl,” and replace the water lines to the mechanical room. The $162,500 investment should be a great upgrade to Pelham’s well-used and well-loved pool.

Centennial Park Concession: Last year the Fabulous Fenwick Lions asked the Town to erect a permanent canopy on the Food Booth so they could stop using tents in that area for their events. This year we budgeted $27,600 for canopy, including a potential grant to support their request.

Various Park Improvements: Council also approved several improvements to Town parks, including constructing bullpens at Centennial Park Baseball Diamond 3 and Harold Black Park Diamond 2, adding netting and an infield cutout to Centennial Diamond 2, repairing the pedestrian bridge behind Harold Black, and setting aside funds to work with the community to design a new neighbourhood park on Abbott Place (behind the Lazy Loon).

Planning & Development: Council also set aside $130,000 to undertake more detailed planning – called a Secondary Plan – in East Fenwick (between Balfour and Creams Streets along Canboro Road). We also earmarked funds to hold a community “charrette” – to bring neighbours, developers, user groups, Staff and Council together – to discuss and design redevelopment options of the existing Arena property on Haist Street.

Operations Centre Improvements: Staff suggested that Council approve $227,000 to repair the Town’s Operations Centre on Tice Road. Not only would the proposed works improve the physical working conditions at the facility, the plan will also temporary relocate some Staff in preparation for the transition from the existing Arena and to the new Community Centre. The funds will repair the central building roof, improve potable water treatment, renovate the office / lunchroom / locker room area, and add a “lean-to” for outside storage. Council wanted additional information about the proposal and “red-circled” the funds pending a report this week.

To review the entire 2017 Capital Budget, please check out the Town's website at www.pelham.ca.

2017 Road, Bridges, Sidewalk Improvements

During our last meeting in December, Council approved the Town’s 2017 Capital Budget. The nearly $11 million budget includes many continued improvements to Town infrastructure.

Summersides Boulevard: Council re-approved the construction of a new street linking Downtown Fonthill (by extending Pelham Town Square) with Wellspring Way and Rice Road. The street will include a centre boulevard, trees, and wide multipurpose sidewalks/trails on both sides. Council will name it after Jim Summersides, a World War II veteran of the elite, joint Canadian-American "First Special Service Force," a dedicated member of the Royal Canadian Legion (Fonthill Branch 613), and a volunteer public speaker to school children about the travesties of war.
While much of the Eastern section was constructed as a base road last year, we have to complete the planning approvals to finalize the last, Western leg (closest to Station Street).
Council is committed to constructing this road to help better link Downtown Fonthill to other, newer developments. The road will also help open up opportunities for further residential and mixed-use development.

Station Street: As the Town continues to grow, Station Street between Regional Road 20 and Port Robinson is becoming a more important transportation link. At the same time, improving the storm sewers on Station (which are currently open ditches) will help with storm water issues in areas above Station Street. Finally, the aged watermain needs upgrading; each year we continue to remove and upgrade the old, cast iron pipes that are susceptible to leaks and cracks. Because of these challenges, the Town applied for funding from the Provincial Government to improve Station Street; we look forward to hearing funding news in early-2017.

Haist Street: While we have reconstructed most of Haist Street over the years, we are now to concentrate on the Southern section. Council approved funds to start reconstructing Haist from Welland Road to Beckett and include a bit of Welland Road (from Haist to Edward). While the road condition does need improving, the real impetuous for the works is to replace the old, cast-iron watermain.

Roland Road: The Town finally improved a deteriorated section of Roland Road (east of Sulphur Springs) last year. Now we included funds to rehabilitate Roland from the parking entrance for Shorthills Provincial Park eastward.

Maple Street: Another year, another "bridge." This one – on Maple Street just South of Sixteen Road – will be replaced with dual culverts in 2017.

Sidewalks & Road Base Repairs: The Town made several and much-needed repairs to existing sidewalks and road sections last year. Council approved increased funds – more than $275,000 – in 2017 to address and repair additional areas.

I will write more about our other planned capital improvements for 2017 next column.

2016 Road, Bridges, Sidewalk Projects in Pelham

Jim Summersides, First Special Service Force veteran,
awarded the Congressional Gold Medal, February 2015,
in Washington DC (Photo Credit: Eric Morgensen)

To build on my column last week about some of the largest projects for 2016, I wanted to continue to inform you about some of the major road, bridge and sidewalk improvement planned for Pelham this year.

• Highway 20 Resurfacing / New Sidewalk to E.L. Crossley: The Region approved resurfacing of Regional Road 20 from Lookout Street to Centre Street this year. The Town will fund a new, asphalt sidewalk/trail along the South-side of the road from Timmsdale Crescent to E.L. Crossley High School. I hope this will be of great benefit to students and families!

• Highland Avenue: Council re-approved the final phase of reconstruction of Highland (from Elizabeth to Canboro), including a new waterline, and sewer laterals (as needed). You may recall that this work was supposed to be done in 2015; it was deferred to allow for a better storm-water management design.

• Effingham Street: Another year, another section of Effingham. This year, we will reconstruct Effingham from Highway 20 to Canboro Road in Ridgeville.

• Sawmill “Bridge”: Replacing the corrugated steel “bridge” on Sawmill (just east of Centre Street) with a new concrete structure was deferred from last year because of environmental constraints. The Town continues to evaluate and improve bridges throughout Pelham.

• Church Street Sidewalk: Promised last year, Council re-approved funds this year because the pricing was too high in 2015 to construct the missing section of sidewalk on the west-side of Church from where it ends (near 1010 Church) to the railway track.

• Roland Road: Despite best efforts to reconstruct Roland Road in 2015, Town staff informed Council it will finally get fixed this spring.

• Pelham Street North / Hurricane Road: After expanding the scope of this project to include an upgrade to the stormwater management facility on Shorthill Place, Council approved road reconstruction on Pelham (Broad Street to Hurricane) and of Hurricane (Pelham to Chestnut) to fix historic storm water issues and replace more cast-iron watermains.

• Summersides Boulevard: Council approved the construction of a new street linking Downtown Fonthill (by extending Pelham Town Square) with Wellspring Way and Rice Road in the East Fonthill development. The street will include a centre boulevard, trees, and +3 metre multipurpose sidewalks/trails on both sides. Council will name it after Jim Summersides, a World War II veteran of the elite, joint Canadian-American “First Special Service Force,” a dedicated member of the Royal Canadian Legion (Fonthill Branch 613), and a volunteer public speaker to school children about the travesties of war.

More about our other planned capital improvements for 2016 next time.

2016 Capital Budget and Major Projects

Infrastructure Minister Amarjeet Sohi speaking at the
Toronto Region Board of Trade (Photo: CBC News)

Since both Town and Regional Councils approved 2016 Capital Budgets, I want to inform you about some major improvements planned for Pelham this year. Let’s start with a couple of the biggest.

Pelham Community Centre:
As I wrote about previously, Pelham Town Council earmarked $37 million in the Town’s budget toward constructing a potential Community Centre.

I purposefully use the word “earmarked” because we included what’s like a place-holder in the 2016 capital budget. In the case of the potential Community Centre, both the design and the spending of any of these funds will have to come back to Council for approval.

Why did we do this? The major reason is so that this project might be eligible for government grants. You see, previous Federal and Provincial grants only funded projects that local Councils already included in their approved capital budgets.

In fact, in his speech to the Toronto Board of Trade last Thursday, the Honourable Amarjeet Sohi, Canadian Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, stated the Government’s desire to invest $10 billion in infrastructure projects now – to help stimulate the economy. He stated that he trusts municipal governments to set priorities and that he wants both “shovel-ready” and “shovel-worthy” projects.

By earmarking these funds this year and by working to finalize the design this spring, I hope that we can be well positioned for Council to consider proceeding with this important project this year.

Maple Acre Library:
You may recall that last year we budgeted $1 million for the design / build for a renewed Maple Acre Library. Now, we will proceed this year with the construction.

Since last Fall, the Maple Acre Advisory Committee worked with an architect and builder toward a design that meets the Town’s guidelines for Civic Landmark Buildings, enhances the heritage / original portion of the Maple Acre Library, and adds-on a “learning commons” with “rentable, flexible, multi-purpose, open space.”

Last Wednesday, the Maple Acre Advisory Committee approved “Option A” as the design for the new library facility. The Committee considered more than 130 comments – gathered during a public open house, through comment sheets at the Pelham Arena and Pelham Libraries, and via an online consultation – and agreed with the 72% of those who chose “Option A” over “Option B.”

I’m thrilled the Town will reconstruct Maple Acre into a state-of-the-art library while honouring nearly a hundred years of library service in Fenwick. I look forward to people enjoying the renewed facility for many years to come.

More about our other planned capital improvements for 2016 next time.