There seems to be plenty of interest in the Sharbot Lake Downtown Reconstruction project, judging by the number of people who showed up at an Open House to ask questions and get a look at the plans last Wednesday evening at Oso Hall in Sharbot Lake.

The $3.2 million project is almost entirely funded by federal and provincial grants earmarked for the project with the federal government paying 60 per cent and the provincial government adding 33.3 per cent.

“The only part the municipality is paying for is the underground infrastructure, which absolutely needs to be replaced,” said Central Frontenac Public Works Manager Tyson Myers.

“It’s a big project,” said Project Engineer Dan Fencott of Jewell Engineering. “Especially from the Township’s perspective.

“And it’s long overdue.”

Fencott said this is a reconstruction project, not a beautification project, which could come later as part of a county-funded initiative.

“We’re looking at doing the full depth of roads, sidewalks and sewers,” he said. “This has been 10 years in the works.”

In addition to Elizabeth Street, Robert and Garrett Streets will also receive extensive work.

Much of the work won’t commence until after Labour Day, Fencott said.

“We’re trying to avoid working on the main core in summer,” he said. “So our tentative start date is after Labour Day 2020.

“We hope to finish up in the fall of 2021.”

As of Tuesday, Myers said they’re still ramped up for the project to go ahead as scheduled, and all the current cancellations and social distancing measures shouldn’t affect the project.

“We’re looking at getting the contract out the door in April,” he said. “Unless things change, it’s not affecting us at all.”

Attendance at Central Frontenac’s initial open house on revisions to its Official Plan weren’t quite what organizers hoped for but then, these things rarely attract large crowds unless there is something quite controversial in the revisions. The closest things to controversy in this revision (the last revision was in 2008) were probably chip trucks (the wording of regulations has yet to be finalized) or a decrease in the minimum lot size (which nobody in attendance mentioned).

“This was my first Official Plan open house and I was kind of hoping for more attendance to share ideas,” said Coun. Sherry Whan. “But I think things went well.”
“There were lots of good comments and suggestions, mostly from lake association members,” said Mayor Frances Smith. “The County did a good job organizing and there will be two or three more open houses.”
Smith said the Township is working on re-vamping its website and they’re hoping there will be more comments once that is completed.

“We raised the bigger issues, like affordable housing, food trucks, secondary suites and tiny houses,” said County and Township Planner Joe Gallivan. “The actual first draft of the Official Plan should be done by November.”