Council here is always seeking to attract new business to the community, but it is now anticipating a successful venture has arrived.
Council planned to readjust its parking bylaw for Drayton after a report from public works director Larry Lynch on Nov. 22.
That report stated, “A new restaurant is scheduled to open on or about Dec. 1 … when the Drayton Chop House opens its doors at the corner of Wellington
Street and Wood Street in Drayton.”
Lynch said, “This venue has minimal on-site parking and if the success matches other such restaurants by the same ownership group, there will no doubt be a significant increase in on-street parking on Wellington Street, Wood Street and Elm Street.”
Lynch said Wellington Street currently has parking on both sides of the street from Spring Street to Wood Street. There is also a municipal parking lot off Main Street, a short walk from the Chop House.
There are currently no on-street parking restrictions on Wood or Elm Streets and, “customers will tend to want to park as close as possible to a successful establishment and there is a very real potential for emergency vehicle access problems if parking continues to be allowed on both sides of Wood Street and Elm Street,” Lynch wrote.
He added, “There will certainly be maintenance issues along the boulevards along both Wood Street and Elm street as there are no curbs and the gravel shoulders are very narrow.”
He recommended parking be prohibited on:
– the north side of Wood Street from the southernmost driveway access to the property municipally addressed as 24 Wood Street to the intersection at Elm Street; and
– the east side of Elm Street between County Road 8 and the Drayton Legion.
He recommended council pass a bylaw to make those changes.
Lynch told council the Elm Street recommendation deals with a long standing issue of parking for a nearby church. He said Elm Street is already very narrow and presents snow clearing issues.
Councillor Jim Curry asked if council could consider an exemption for parking for those using the church, noting “a lot park there. We can certainly allow that.”
But Lynch said the issue is similar to others in the community, where snowbanks make use of parking restrictive. He added there should be no parking on both sides of the Legion, because it is “a safety issue.”
He added, “There are options in the area.”
Mayor Bruce Whale said the township should post signs so people coming to the restaurant will know about the restrictions.
Councillor Neil Driscoll said elderly people used to line the route and watch a Drayton Fair parade, and the hope is to someday bring that parade back. He wondered if the township could make an exception for that.
Finance director Mike Givens said the township would close the road for that event, so parking would not be an issue.
Lynch added the township could also post signs for that event.
Curry agreed Elm Street is narrow and, “if church is in, you can’t through with a plow.” He added that on Wood Street people park on the lawn and that would have to be fixed.
Lynch agreed and said there is no shoulder defined on that street. He said if people park on the asphalt, “it cuts the road down.” He added perhaps the township could allow parking on one side, and maybe even switch sides from time to time.
Driscoll was conscious of the problems cutting off parking can bring.
“I just hate to welcome people to town with ‘No Parking’ signs,” he said.
Lynch said he checked with the restaurant owner and learned he has no problem with people parking on that side of the street.
“That’s good to hear,” Driscoll said.
Council then approved Lynch’s recommendations.
