After multiple deputations and spirited discussion, Chatham-Kent councilors have opted for a third option to deal with the future of Talbot Trail.
With the environmental assessment being presented, council on Jan. 16 ultimately decided to file the EA report for the Phase 1 component only, encompassing 2nd Concession Line to Stevenson Road, as opposed to the area from 2nd Concession to Crawford Road
Council also endorsed the first phase to reopen Talbot Trail in the area currently closed.
BT Engineering conducted the study, which discussed the recommended relocation of the roadway.
According to a staff report, the third option will only document separately the hazard zone for Phase 2 that was proposed by this study.
“It could be considered for land use protection for future development at some future date, but it would not protect the corridor now and would defer any action to a future council,” the report stated.
The alternate approach will require additional consulting fees in the amount of $20,000, plus HST, with the money to come from capital funds.
Talbot Trail was formerly a provincial highway before it was downloaded to the municipality in the late 1990s. In 2019, municipal officials closed a portion of the road near Coatsworth because erosion from Lake Erie had damaged its structural integrity.
In 2010, the municipality had to build a $200,000 bypass in the same area after nearby bank erosion caused a major crack in the road.