Sharbot Lakes Matthew Street: It's All Downhill From Here

Craig Bakay | Sep 21, 2022

Armed with a petition of nearly 200 signatures, residents Marlene Bertrim and Ian Whillans addressed Central Frontenac Council’s Sept. 13 meeting in opposition to a plan to turn Matthew Street into a one-way thoroughfare with a pedestrian walkway.

The result was Council asking for an opinion from another engineering firm which is to be presented at a Special Council meeting Sept. 20.

The opinion of the second firm, GHD, supports the decision recommended by the main contractor, Jewell Engineering. In a report to the staff recommends that council follow the Jewell and GD recommendations to Council — in other words, Matthew Street will be a downhill, one-way street linking Elizabeth Street to Oso Beach. (Editor’s note: the Special Council meeting will be held after The Frontenac News’ publication deadline but the website and Facebook accounts will be updated once the decision becomes official.)

In her presentation on the 13th, Bertrim said that there hadn’t been enough public consultation before the original decision had been made.

“Approval was a major mistake,” Bertrim said. “You went ahead with something that should have been brought to the community.”

Mayor Frances Smith said the first time Council saw the Matthew Street proposal was when it came to Council at its June 28 meeting.

Public Works Manager Tyson Myers said: “the benefit of a one-way street is safe pedestrian access and reducing impact on properties.

“We would have to move telephone poles if we were to make it two way.”

He said the idea behind the changes to the street was to “tie a connecting link from downtown to the beach.

“There’s inconvenience there but I believe it’s progress.”

Advocates for Mathew to be a one-way street, up the hill (eastbound), including the Central Frontenac Railway Heritage Society, will be disappointed as well.

In her analysis, GHD Project Manager, Transportation Vanessa Skelton said: “The available existing sightlines at the intersection of Elizabeth Street and Matthew Street are less than required and travel in the eastbound (uphill) direction should be prohibited.

“The mitigation measure for the current situation should be to make Matthew Street a one-way street westbound, toward Medical Centre Road. The impacts on the travel patterns due to the change to a one-way street are minimal and the safety benefits outweigh the minor change in routing for local traffic.”

Access restricted over heritage road

Council passed a bylaw removing or restricting the common law right of passage by the public over a highway and the common law right of access to the highway by an owner of land abutting a highway in the case of Oso Road lying north of the K & P Trail within lots 19 and 20 Con 3 Oso.

The road is considered a heritage road.

Also, Julie Druker, who owns the property south of the K & P Trail, informed Council that she would like to buy the part of the road that bisects her property and Council passed a resolution that there would be no Hydro easement on that part of the road meaning that Hydro will have to go underground along the K & P Trail to service lots 19 and 20.

Rail line explosion #1 risk, even without VIA passenger rail

A rail line fire/explosion/derailment is the highest risk level threat posed in Central Frontenac Township, according to a community risk level assessment presented to Council by Terry Gervais of the Loomis Group.

A significant weather event (high winds/tornadoes/snow storm/ice storm) was the second highest risk level followed by a human health emergency, fire in a remote/wilderness area including islands, civic numbering on islands and fire in a residential occupancy.

The risk assessment study will become part of the Fire Master Plan which is currently in the works.

No ads, please, we’re a ‘lame duck’ council

Council won’t be buying ads in either the MADD Message Yearbook or Courageous Companions after Coun. Bill MacDonald questioned Council’s capacity to comply with requests for $300 ads.

“Did we budget this and can we spend money now?” MacDonald said.

“It’s not in the budget so ‘no,’” said CAO/Clerk Cathy MacMunn.

No time off for funeral service

Township staff did not get the day off for Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral Sept. 19.

“It may be a national holiday but there was no provincial proclamation and we only follow provincial staff holidays,” said CAO/Clerk Cathy MacMunn.

But that didn’t stop Mayor Frances Smith from calling for a minute of silence before the meeting.

“It’s been a tough week for Canada and the whole of the world with the loss of a Queen,” Smith said.