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www.oakvillebeaver.com The Oakville Beaver, Friday September 15, 2006 - 3 Town wants to build another Bronte Creek bridge in 2015 By Angela Blackburn OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF Bridge would join Wyecroft Road in Oakville with Harvester Road in Burlington That decommissioning mended, the Town has simply opens doors on the alignment of re-opened the file, done further the new bridge so the Town can study and public consultation now build it in a slightly differ- and is preparing to put out the ent location plan for the than first antici- "There was a major legally prepated -- with scribed period public support for a much less for public comintrusion into northerly crossing, if ment. That is the creek valley. anything, people 30 days, but the While Mayor wanted it done in the Town will do it Ann Mulvale short term rather than for 45 days. and Ward 1 According to the long term." Councillor Scott, the justiRalph fication and Consultant Leslie Scott, Robinson, both decision to McCormick Rankin on council in move forward 1994, spoke on building the about intense northerly friction in the community, par- bridge was made in 1994. ticularly among five various It was simply deferred interest groups, over the pro- for future study of alignposed bridge, the consultant ment. presenting to the committee The file was reopened in said there was widespread pub- December 2005. Consultation lic support for a northerly by Town staff and consultants bridge. was extensive with technical "There was major public agencies and others, including support for a northerly cross- everyone from CN and the ing, if anything, people wanted Ontario Realty Corporation, to it done in the short term rather Conservation Halton and the than long term," said Leslie Ministry of Transportation, Scott, of McCormick Rankin. among many others. With a northerly bridge Two public information already studied and recom- meetings were held -- eight people attended a meeting in April and five people were at a June meeting. Scott said the low attendance may have been because the proposed bridge is in an industrial area. Two options for the bridge alignment were evaluated -- dubbed N2a and N2d -- and it was the N2d option that is now preferred. It's cheaper -- $29 million as opposed to $34 million -- and offers a shorter crossing of the creek. It also will have little, if any, effect on what's called the West Tributary, a tributary from the former 12-Mile, now Bronte, Creek, which has remained undisturbed, as well as the designated Environmentally-Sensitive Area (ESA) #10. It is also the only one of the two that Conservation Halton finds acceptable -- the other having the potential for too much environmental damage for Conservation Halton's taste. The Committee sent the item on to council for approval Monday. Council is being asked to approve a revised draft addendum to the 1994 Environmental Study Report for public comment. Already, the owners of B and D Auto Recycling at 702 Bronte Rd. have registered concerns as the proposed, four-lane bridge will require the Town to acquire two of its six-acre property -- which, they say, could reduce the critical mass of their property to the point of jeopardizing the business' viability. And while the business would pick up a right-in/right-out access to the bridge, it would lose the full access it now has to Bronte Road with a rightin/right-out configuration. Councillors went in camera to discuss the concerns raised by the business as it was deemed an issue of property acquisition, then returned to public forum and approved the staff recommendation. Envisioned with boulevards, drainage that will flow away from Bronte Creek, cycle lanes and pedestrian walkways for those at leisure and making their way to work, the proposed bridge would be built high above the creek and be about 230 metres (just over 750 ft.) long. -- Angela Blackburn can be reached at angela@oakvillebeaver.com. With the Rebecca Street bridge finally built, the Town of Oakville is gearing up to build another bridge over Bronte Creek -- from Wyecroft Road to Harvester Road in Burlington. Both bridges will have been about 30 years in the works. The Rebecca crossing, the Bronte Radial Bridge, was built in 2001. Both bridges were approved at the same time -- in 1994-- but the Wyecroft crossing was put off. It's time has come -- almost. The Town is doing all its homework in order to start construction on the northerly bridge in 2015. The Town's Community Services Committee heard Tuesday that a couple of things have triggered the need to get on with the bridge. Development proposals have come in for the west side of the creek, both residential and employment, along what would be the Wyecroft Road extension. Also, Petro Canada, which has recently ceased its refining in favour of distribution operations, will decommission a couple of storage tanks this year. FROM SEPTEMBER 9 TO OCTOBER 1 WITH YOUR INSTALLED FIREPLACE PURCHASE* · LIMITED TIME OFFER While Supplies Last · Barbecue valued up to $329.99 DON'T PAY FOR 6 MONTHS (see store for details) RECEIVE A FREE BBQ 25 20 % OFF OUR LUXURY TO GOTM DRAPERY* % OFF ALL CUSTOM DRAPERY* (*see store for exceptions) * See In-store for details BEAT THE COLD! 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