Sarnia has started environmental assessment work to extend Wellington Street, key to building more homes in the city’s east, Sarnia’s development and transportation manager says.
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“Having the Wellington Street extension completed kind of provides servicing and obviously road access to the most potential land, based on ownership, in Development Area 2,” said Alister Brown.
The start of environmental assessment work comes as the estimated $20.6-million, 1.5-kilometer road and water-main-extending project recently received a $7.9-million provincial funding grant.
Plans are to work on design components in tandem before putting a tender package together, Brown said.
A provincial press release says the build could support 2,775 housing unit starts in Sarnia’s 570-hectare (1,408-acre) Development Area 2, bounded by London and Confederation lines, and Model and Blackwell Side roads.
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BM Ross and Associates has been contracted for the $125,000 environmental assessment work, Brown said.
Public input will be part of figuring out the final design, he said, based on the recently approved secondary plan for the area.
Sarnia getting the grant money, through the province’s Housing Enabling Water Systems Fund, was seen as unlikelygiven the fund seemed targeted at helping municipalities meet provincial housing targets and Sarnia exceeded its modest 73-unit target in 2023.
“But we checked and made our application based on the most eligible criteria that we could see … and ultimately put this one forward to the province based on the number of potential units that this could create,” Brown said.
“We thought that would hold a lot of weight,” he said, adding city officials are grateful.
Other projects Sarnia eyed for part of the $200-million grant fund, but didn’t put forward, included a $6.5-million project to boost capacity at five sewage pumping stations along London Line, and a $5.8-million stormwater pond expansion at the eastern edge of Heritage Park.
All are development charges eligible, Brown said.
“Obviously it’s very significant to have that road go in,” he said about extending Wellington Street. “And it’s also to have that trunk sewer infrastructure that everyone can connect into and ultimately bring their developments online.”
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