Feature Article July 10,2003
LAND O' LAKES NewsWeb HomeMerchants Wary of Planned Northbrook Stop LightPlans to put in a stop light at the corner of Hwy 41 and Peterson Road in Northbrook are moving forward and a light may be installed by the end of 2003, according to Kurt Maynard of the Ontario Ministry of Transportation.
The stop light plan, which could adversely affect several Northbrook businesses, has been in the works for some time, and received initial approval from Addington Highlands (AH) Council 2 years ago. Initially, citizens were only asking for a cross walk to be established at a location to the north of the proposed stop light, between the seniors apartment building and the Lions Hall. This was something that residents of the seniors apartments were looking for. Roberta Hanes, a mother of four who lives near the highway, wrote the first letter to council asking for something to be done about the situation.
Eventually, the local MPP, Leona Dombrowsky got involved, contacting the Ministry of Transportation. In the summer of 2001, the ministry conducted a major use study of traffic in Northbrook, including pedestrian traffic, Don Maynard said.
They determined there was enough traffic on the road to warrant putting in a stop light. They recorded 900 pedestrian crossings in one day, including 600 at Peterson road (The Northbrook IGA is across from Peterson Road).
Kurt Maynard said it was contrary to the highway act to put in a cross walk on a provincial highway, so the only option to control traffic in Northbrook is a full stop light, and the only sensible location is at Peterson road.
What has left some merchants uneasy are some of the other aspects of the ministry plan. Citing a need to try to organise traffic movements, in the words of Kurt Maynard, the ministry proposes to put in left turn lanes at the stop lights, eliminate the southernmost entrance to the Northbrook IGA, and eliminate the entrance to the Parkys variety store that is on Hwy. 41. Parkys will only be accessed via Peterson road once the stop light is in place. The new left turn lanes will eliminate several parking spaces along the shoulder of the highway, including two that are adjacent to the Bank of Montreal branch.
This aspect of the plan has put management at the IGA, Parkys Variety, and other businesses on edge. No one wants to compromise public safety, but they also dont want to make it difficult for customers to access their businesses.
The manager of the Northbrook IGA pointed out that large delivery trucks use the southern entrance to the parking lot to approach the building at a proper angle in order to get to the loading docks behind the IGA. With a single entrance that is right next to the door of the building, the trucks will find it difficult to get to the back of the building whenever the parking lot is full, which is quite often the case during the summer months.
Leona Dombrowsky said she has no influence with the ministry over the location of the stop light, but she hopes that an accommodation of all the needs within the community can be found.
Kurt Maynard says a detailed plan is being prepared, and the ministry is considering sending a letter to Addington Highlands council soon to confirm they are still in favour of putting in a stop light. While the plan will be open to public input, Maynard also said There really isnt an awful lot of possibility for modification to the plan, at this point.
The stop light is described as a priority for the ministry of transportation in eastern Ontario. If money isnt found for the project in this years construction budget, or the detailed plan is delayed for some reason, Maynard does not expect it will slip very far on the priority list next year.
