City officials were advised to tread carefully while preparing plans for an Oak Park Road – Colborne Street West connection.
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“The biggest drawback that I’ve heard and I’ve heard it consistently, I’ve heard it loudly and I’ve heard it clearly,” said Coun. Brian Van Tilborg. “Nobody wants us to go anywhere near the (Oakhill) cemetery.
“It’s a 100 per cent, complete non-starter.”
Speaking at a Tuesday committee meeting of council, Van Tilborg said if the city can’t satisfy residents’ concerns about a proposed new road on the cemetery property, they will oppose it.
“We need this road badly but the public needs to be heard,” Van Tilborg said. “We have to make our case and deal with the cemetery early in the process and clearly or even I won’t be supporting it.”
At issue is a proposal to build a new road that connects Oak Park Road to Colborne Street West. The road, which would include a bridge across the Grand River, is seen as the best answer to traffic woes faced by West Brant residents.
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A large percentage of the 17,000 West Brant residents are commuters traveling north to the city’s industrial area or west to get to Highway 403. Many of those residents need to travel through the city – up Brant Avenue or along Veteran’s Memorial Parkway to Clarence Street to Colborne Street to the Wayne Gretzky Parkway.
The volume of traffic is already more than those roads can handle and the situation is expected to get worse as more homes are built.
Van Tilborg made the comments prior to councilors recommending for approval re-initiating an environmental assessment study for the proposed Oak Park Road – Colborne Street West connection.
A new bridge across the Grand River that is higher than the city’s existing bridges is needed to ensure access to West Brant is maintained. The area was temporarily cut off from the rest of Brantford during the 2018 ice jam.
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City council put the brakes on the environmental assessment for the Oak Park Road extension in 2021 in the face of stiff opposition from residents, especially those living in the Oakhill area. Their objections included the impact on the cemetery, the neighborhood and existing wildlife.
Coun. Mandy Samwell voted in favor of re-initiating the environmental assessment but did so ‘cautiously.’
Samwell said she hopes that whatever plan is developed stays away from the cemetery. If it doesn’t, she would have to change her position.
Mayor Kevin Davis said the issue has long been a problem that wasn’t addressed by previous councils to the community’s detriment.
“We can’t afford to dither, delay and kick the can down the road any longer,” Davis said. “We’ve got to take some concrete steps to address this traffic crisis in our community.”
Meanwhile, councilors also recommended for approval asking the province for a facilitator to work with the city and Brant County to address regional transportation issues.
The idea, brought forth by Coun. Michael Sullivan, comes a week after the county with Drew from a city-county joint services committee. The committee was set to discuss several issues including ways to address regional transportation concerns.
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