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Jeff Green | Feb 07, 2008

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Council Backs out of Cross Lake Road concerns

Addington Highlands residents living on the Cross Lake Road, who have been affected by the decision of Brian Shier to block access through a road that runs though property he owns, made one more appearance before council this Monday; but council did not offer any prospect of a resolution to their concerns.

It’s not as if the township has not been involved in the issue.

Late last summer, they committed some gravel to a group of hunters to build a bypass road to enable access for the residents, but the road is not suitable for the trailer of one resident, Norene Traynor, nor is a propane truck able to pass over it. Traynor and her husband are also concerned that emergency vehicles would not be able to negotiate the bypass should they need to be called in.

The township has also tried to negotiate with Mr. Shier, to no avail.

So when another presentation was made to council this week, Deputy Reeve Helen Yanch said, “We’re sympathetic to the problem, but it is a matter of going to court. Is there something that can be done on the Addington Road [the bypass] to bring it up to some standard?”

“If anybody has any other ideas, if there is anything else that can be done, we would like to do something. We do need a little bit of help. We haven’t forgotten you,” said Reeve Henry Hogg.

“We’ll be back,” said Traynor.

The residents are considering legal action, but they are concerned about the cost.

AFAR gets committee status – Andy Anderson from the Adddington Frontenac Area Radio (AFAR) project came to council asking if the group could establish a formal affiliation with the township. This would allow them to apply for grants without undergoing an expensive incorporation process.

It was determined that the township already considered them to be a sub-committee of the Economic Development Committee, making AFAR formally a township affiliate.

OPP faces the music – Kaladar OPP Officer Pat Finnegan appeared before council to answer concerns about some illegally parked vehicles that were reported to the OPP over Christmas. The OPP did not address the problem and eventually the vehicles were moved by their owners, but in the meantime they were posing a safety risk, according to Roads Superintendent Royce Rosenenblath.

Finnnegan listened as the case was explained, and then asked Reeve Hogg, “Is this a formal complaint or is it something you want to fix?”

“We want to fix it” Hogg said.

Finnegan said he would make sure issues like that are dealt with in the future and agreed to come to council on a bi-monthly basis to report back and hear concerns.