Craig Bakay | Jul 15, 2020


Reduced speed limits are coming to the vast majority of roads in Central Frontenac Township following Council’s passage of a new Speed Zone Bylaw at its regular meeting online Tuesday.

Staff told Council the speed limits haven’t been updated since 2009.

Public Works Manager Tyson Myers said the “driving movement” behind the change was allowing the Township to achieve minimum maintenance standards.

“There won’t be noticeable reductions in maintenance to what’s currently in place,” Myers said. “Just that with reduced limits, it means our liability is reduced.

“(Reducing speed limits) helps out.”

Under Ontario law, roads that do not have posted speed limits are automatically 80 kph, which require increased maintenance standards to accommodate the higher speeds.

Myers said they have “a lot” of signs in stock including the yellow recommended speed limit signs and there is money in this year’s budget to accommodate the new bylaw.

He said the changes apply to the entirety of the listed roads.

The majority of the gravel roads in the township now have a 40kph speed limit.

The following roads will be reduced to 50 kph: Alf Patterson Road, Arena Boundary Road, Armstrong Road, Ball Road, Bordenwood Road, Bull Lake Road, Burke Settlement Road, Clarendon Road Clement Road, Echo Lake Road, Elm Tree Road, Fall River Road, Ferguson Road, Fish Creek Road, Forty Foot Road, Fourth Lake Road, Kingston Line Road, Kirk Kove Road, Mary Moore Road, McQuaid Road, Mill Road, Oak Flats Road, Over the Hills Road, Second Lake Road, Shibley Road, Veley Road, Wagner Road, White Lake Road, Wilkinson Road, Willis Armstrong Road, Zealand Road North.

The following roads will be reduced to 60 kph: Arden Road, Ardoch Road, Crow Lake Road, Fifth Lake Road, Henderson Road, Long Lake Road, Mountain Grove Road, Wagarville Road. It appear that only Roads 38 and 509 will continue to have an 80kph speed limit.

Survey to settle encroachment claim

Council agreed to split the cost (50-50) of having a surveyor make a site visit to Florence Warren’s property on Bell Line Road to see if the existing surveys correspond to what’s actually on the ground.

Representing his grandmother (Warren), Ryan Conboy told Council that a neighbouring development is encroaching on his grandmother’s land. The problem is that the water level in Warren’s Lake has gone down since the last survey was done.

“We did a site visit and met with the planning department and we feel the dock itself meets the intent of our bylaw,” said Cindy Deachman, dep. Clerk. “But we don’t have any legal documentation that shows this little piece of land other than the registered reference plan 1979.

“It doesn’t show any road allowance there either.”

Conboy agreed to Council’s proposal.

Public meeting regarding former store in Tichborne

Council agreed to hold a public meeting on the future of the store property in Tichborne once the covid-19 pandemic allows following a delegation by Tichborne resident Joann Williamson. Much of Williamson’s presentation concerned the old gas pumps and store at the corner of Road 38 and Frean Street.

More fine tuning of burn bylaw

Central Frontenac will take another month fine-tuning its burn bylaw following a presentation by Fire Chief Jamie Riddell.

Dep. Mayor Tom Dewey had some concerns about the concept of having to have a burn permit from October to April as well as the time of day burning is allowed (two hours before sunset to an two hours before sunrise).

Coun. Bill MacDonald voiced similar concerns as did Mayor Frances Smith who said: “When it gets dark around 4:30 p.m., 7 p.m. can seem like bedtime.”

 

New hire for Sharbot Lake

Central Frontenac has announced it has hired Adrianna Barbary for the position of Downtown Sharbot Lake Revitalization Coordinator, a 12-month contract position.

Coun. Brent Cameron, who also chairs the Economic Development Committee, said the lessons learned in the Sharbot Lake project will also be applicable to Arden, Tichborne, Parham and all the hamlets in the township.

Guidelines adopted

Council approved adopting Frontenac County’s Recommended Guidelines for Addressing Water Access Only Properties” and authorized staff to contact residents in regards to suggesting names.

The project is necessary to be ready for the Next Generation 911 impact this fall.

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