Projected costs to service additional industrial land in Harriston are too high for council’s liking.
A Class Environmental Assessment by the engineering firm of BM Ross provides a variety of options for servicing separate 11- and 55-acre parcels near the existing industrial park, with estimated costs for various phases ranging from just over $555,000 to almost $1.3 million.
Costing also includes a $1,875,000 water storage and watermain system, but the documents are unclear if that system was needed to accommodate all options or only some.
CAO Bill White, who noted he was seeing the figures for the first time along with council at the Jan. 6 meeting, expressed concern the figures were higher than anticipated.
“This is on the high side. It’s normal for engineering consultants to give you a high end,” he said, adding, “That $1.8 million water storage and watermain amount concerns me.”
“It’s great to look at these numbers, but I’m not convinced that they’re right,” said Mayor George Bridge.
“That $1.8 million is a non-starter,” the mayor stated. “I’m shocked by the 1.8. We never, ever talked about 1.8 for doing something like this.”
“Is there any other land in Harriston that we could service a lot cheaper?” wondered councillor Ron Elliott.
White said the land in question has been the subject of considerable research. The Class EA has been underway since October of 2013.
“There are other lands, but nothing that we’ve looked at to this degree,” White said.
The 11-acre parcel is north of and adjoins the existing industrial park, while the 55-acre parcel is further west, running around the Harriston lagoon system.
Stating, “these are not numbers we can work with,” Bridge said he believes it might be possible to rework the project to make it more affordable, possibly servicing only the 11-acre parcel.
“Because somebody said that’s what it costs, I’m not totally agreeing that’s going to be the final statement,” Bridge said.
While only one three-acre lot remains for sale in the Harriston Industrial Park, Bridge pointed out the municipality currently has serviced industrial land available in Palmerston.
“We do have other options. It’s not as if we’re dead in the water as far as industrial land in our community,” he noted.
Economic and business manager Belinda Wick-Graham agreed the municipality could “focus on Palmerston” for industrial expansion for the time being.
“That’s where the interest is right now,” she noted.
Council received the report for information and directed staff to pass on concerns about costs to the engineers.
In a Jan. 16 email to the Advertiser, White stated he has determined there are more affordable alternatives to a single water storage facility.
“We are in the process of clarifying with the engineer, as requested by council, but our staff feels the water storage facility (and hence the cost) as identified would ensure water volume is sufficient for firefighting purposes in the event the entire expansion area was occupied by industries that required large amounts of water.”
White said staff are confident the $1.8 million figure will be reduced significantly in favour of options that might see a limitation on certain uses combined with opportunities to put private water storage for firefighting capabilities on individual properties where there is a demand.
“Since we are at the EA stage we are only getting a bird’s eye view of how the lands might be laid out and servicing issues that need to be addressed prior to expansion going ahead,” White explained.
