HALDIMAND—The following items were discussed at Council in Committee on Tuesday, October 31, 2023. Decisions made were then ratified at a follow up meeting Monday, November 6. See the full reports at haldimandcounty.ca.
New parking control bylaws for pair of Caledonia schools
Additional parking restrictions and several changes to student drop off zones at Caledonia Centennial School are incoming following feedback from both the principal and parents of students.
The changes are intended to improve general operations and sightlines following the relocation of the bus loading zone from Sutherland St. W. to an internal lot on the property.
With the bus no longer using space on Sutherland, staff have recommended converting the area into a 15-minute loading zone. Staff also recommended additional no parking zones for approximately 30 metres on the north, south, and west legs of the Sutherland St. W. and Shetland St. intersection.
Meanwhile, following staff and resident concerns at St. Patrick’s School, staff have recommended extending the no parking restriction on the north side of Orkney St. E. from its current limit just east of Nairne St. up to Banff St. The change is expected to provide better traffic movement, while still allowing for parking on the south side of the street.
Council voted unanimously in support of the changes.
Winter parking-related changes in Dunnville, Jarvis
Following resident concerns brought forward by the local councillor, County staff have recommended the creation of a snow route on the east side of Ross Ave. in Dunnville to help improve winter control operations in the area.
Currently, parking on the street is permitted on both sides between November 15 to April 15. The resident concerns related to how parking on both sides of the street can severely limit the ability for winter control vehicles to effectively clear the narrow roadway.
Snow routes allow on-site parking during the day but prohibit parking between 2 to 8 a.m. during the winter season.
The route will run along Ross Ave. from Alder St. W. to South Cayuga St. W.
Meanwhile in Jarvis, resident concerns brought forth by the local councillor relate to the lack of parking during winter control season in the Peel St. E. and Craddock Blvd. area.
Currently, parking during the season is reduced to alternate side parking while the spaces on Craddock are not available, leaving residents at the townhouses located on the north and south sides of Peel with limited options.
To address the concerns, staff are recommending permitting winter parking at two angled parking areas on both roads. County staff warn that cars utilizing those spaces can expect to be plowed in following snowstorms.
Council approved both amendments unanimously.
Budget amended on Edinburgh Square window project
Work is currently underway on a large-scale window replacement project at Caledonia’s Edinburgh Square Heritage and Cultural Centre, however County staff have advised that the budget needs to be amended to complete work.
With a current budget of $320,000, the project is utilizing architectural designs to install custom-made windows while conforming to heritage conservation standards.
With work underway since July, staff note that things are progressing well, but additional damage to the brickwork and joinery surrounding the windows on the south and west sides has resulted in an unforeseen $38,170 in additional expenses, leaving a funding shortfall for the completion of the north side windows.
Completing the work will add approximately $46,000 to the overall cost, bringing the project in at an estimated $378,000. To cover the shortfall, staff have taken $12,000 from a separate Heritage and Culture project with a projected savings, while the remainder will be taken from the County’s general capital reserves.
County grants up to $15,000 toward conversion of retail space into a dental office in Cayuga
Utilizing funding through Haldimand’s Downtown Areas Community Improvement Plan, a retail space located at 5 Talbot St. W. in Cayuga will see exterior façade improvements to match the interior conversion of the space into a dental office.
The funds will be utilized to improve windows on the front and rear of the building, and to improve accessibility by adding automatic doors to the entrance.
While not covered through the County program, the interior work on the location will include new interior framing, plumbing, flooring, a barrier free bathroom, and several new dental treatment rooms.
As the building is in a high traffic downtown location, staff believe the exterior work will improve the overall appearance of downtown Cayuga and “leverage private sector investment.”
Each year, Haldimand allocates $100,000 to the Community Improvement Plan, which is used to fund similar projects throughout the county.
