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: | ; . J - "WEEKEND STAR" FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2001 Council denies they're slowin By J. Peter Hvidsten Weekend Star Concern over a percep- tion that council is drag- ging its feet on approving the proposed location for a new Canadian Tire store in Port Perry has prompt- ed local councillors to ask staff to prepare a chrono- logical time frame of how long this project has been under consideration. In an interview with The Weekend Star last week, officials with the Canadian EEE EN i a he J He. - 00 / a fs Ex / Brownie Tire Corporation expressed increasing frus- tration with the road- blocks they perceive are being put up in front of them by Scugog Council. Gary Mark, project co- ordinator for CTC, said Earthnuak that there is in fact an "end of the road" for how far the company will go to devel- op a new location. He said it was frustrating that every time they deal with concerns and return to council, the municipality seems to have some more Simcoe St. and Highway . 7A as a result of the new store. Council noted that traffic at the intersection is already a big problem. Scugog Mayor Doug Moffatt said that there is a desperate need for inter- section improvements at g down Canadian Tire project years, but the additional traffic from the proposed CTC development would be the final straw to push the problems over the edge. Before the retail project can proceed council must first forward its comments queries. this corner where north- to Durham Region for con- , Council has also been bound traffic is funneled sideration. However, local : getting criticism from from two lanes to one-and- councillors felt they need- 5 some area residents and from local Canadian Tire store owner Jeff Hodgkinson, who expressed last week that he has concerns over how many hoops CTC planners are willing to jump through, and for how long. Discussing the issue at council on Monday, coun- * cillors felt they were not holding the project up and in fact Regional Councillor Ken Carruthers stressed that he doesn't want to . see the project delayed. However, he added that council does need assur- ances that all the. issues will be addressed. Other councillors echoed his words, and suggested that if they did- n't address all the 'con- cerns now, before the pro- ject gets underway; they may never be corrected. In addition to the envi- ronmental issues, there is a deep concern among council of the potential problems that could be created at the corner of « ECKEL GRE ENHOUSES pry 8300 BA WIN ST N J a-half lanes for more than a block before being reduced to one lane at the north end of the town. The intersection is the responsibility of the province and Durham Region. 'Ward 2 Councillor Marilyn Pearce said the traffic study conducted for the Canadian Tire propos- al is useless until some- body deals with the prob- lems that have been ideh- tified in connection with the intersection. Works Director Larry Postill "said that the Simcoe St. and Hwy. 7A intersection needs to be addressed immediately. "A lot of land would . have to be purchased to put in turning lanes, and it hasn't even been started," he said, adding that it could take upwards of five years to complete the required changes. Mr. Postill suggested that problems at the cor- ner will continue to get worse over the next few er = ed to meet with planners from the region and province to discuss their concerns about traffic before making comments. Councillor Pearce said if council said no to this project now, it might buy them more time. "The traffic study says we have a bad situation there now, and we're only going to add to it. That's why I'm having trouble with this project... because it's adding to the prob- lems," she said. Councillors agreed they didn't want to tie the pro- ject up, but stressed they need assurances that the problems will be addressed. "If we're going into this project, we are going in with our eyes wide open. But if I don't see some commitment on the roads, I won't support this," said Councillor Pearce. Mr. Postill said he will work with staff to set up a meeting with the province's transportation ministry and Durham Region Works and requested a letter from the township be sent to the two agencies outlining their concerns. Council schedule a public meeting to deal with the Canadian Tire proposal for Dec. 17. / / nied for wnat beliind agreed to I I SST I 0 L, ET i SA