A much-needed sewer and road project in east end Belleville is being delayed until at least 2023, after residents in the neighbourhood voiced concerns about the impact of the work.
The work on Alexander Street would have included separating the wastewater and stormwater sewers, along with the reconstruction of the road and sidewalks, but residents were concerned, mostly about the fact that many trees on the street would have to be removed.
Mayor Mitch Panciuk says, while they’re happy to continue the dialogue with residents before the project comes back around, the more than 100-year-old infrastructure will still need to be replaced in the future.
“It was kind of an easy decision for us to say ‘look, if you guys don’t want this that’s fine, we can take this money, put it somewhere else that they do want it’. Unfortunately, I don’t know how much is really going to change through this time of consultation, because there are provincial regulations with regard to road widths and sidewalk widths, that’s going to have an impact on trees.”
Panciuk says staff will look at reallocating the $3.6 million that was set aside for the project and put it towards something else.
However, some of the money earmarked for Alexander Street came from upper levels of government and must be used for sewer separation, or accessibility improvements, so staff will have to identify other similar projects and redirect those funds.
Councillor Paul Carr had raised some questions about the aging infrastructure and had asked about any impacts on water quality for residents in the area if the watermains aren’t replaced. But staff reassured him that, at least in the near future, there shouldn’t be any issues on that front.
The project will come back to council in 2023, after a “Complete Streets Policy” is developed and put in place, to guide roadway redevelopments in the city, while looking at more than just traffic needs.
