Resident Roy Lennartz thinks council should start a repair and compensation program for Station Road and road conditions in general.
Lennartz was at council April 3 seeking compensation.
He said the meeting that night was interesting as it dealt with infrastructure and its value. “Had there been no Station Road when I moved into the area, I’d have never bought the property I now live on.”
Lennartz said it has come to his attention even more as a result of the road closure, how the road has affected his family and others.
What got him to come to council was a phone call from his wife, who’d been driving in the dark on the 4th Line.
Their relatively new vehicle sunk in the roadway up to the frame. He said his wife was fortunate a family living nearby helped her.
“But I feel sorry for the people who live along that stretch of road the way it is. A lot of us are scratching our heads wondering where the whole thing is going with Station Road closing.”
While Lennartz said staff seem reasonably responsive and he can see “the situation is what it is and they are working diligently to make the best of the situation, but a lot of us are wondering what was the catalyst to close the road.”
He asked if some sort of ultimatum was given to the town “that Station Road must be closed that day … or else,” or if the town kept the road open until the last minute.
He suggested it seemed convenient it happened at the same time the Hillsburgh Fire Hall was being rebuilt.
Lennartz said his property is for sale and prior to the closing of Station Road there was interest in it. After the closing – nothing, he said.
Lennartz said he is negatively affected by the closure.
“I hear you discuss this, but there is no real time frame of when it will be opened.”
He said if the town wants to raise taxes there needs to be a mechanism to address the depreciation of property values “or fix the road. You speak very pro-actively, but there is still nobody telling me that on June 1, that road will be open.”
Lennartz said he has no confidence on when a solution will come.
Mayor Lou Maieron said the issue came to a head when the road superintendent saw the road was shifting. A number of investigations were done to determine why that happened.
When it came to council, Maieron said for safety reasons, the road was closed.
He explained the issue of determining who owned what, and who is responsible. The paperwork has been filed, but it is up to the MNR to provide the permit to undertake work – either to replace the culvert or remove it.
“Certainly to my knowledge there was no conspiracy to close the road while the fire station was being constructed.”
Maieron said the road experienced a similar problem in the 1969-70, and a permanent solution turned out to be temporary.
“When we get the permit, council will decide whether we want the pipe there or not … and fix the road as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, the wheels of government move slowly at times, particularly especially where there is cross-arching legislation. That is why I don’t want anything more to do with the dam. I just want to fix the road.”
On the issue of soft roads, Maieron said, “We’ve had our fair share or more of this, but we were not the only municipality to experience this on gravel roads this year.”
He said the roads department has worked diligently to address the issues – given the resources the municipality has.
While the town would like to have a long term plan to pave those roads, there is a cost. While Maieron said he is not passing the buck, it is unfortunate councils of the past did not take advantage of provincial money to pave roads when funds were available.
He said Erin, with a population of 11,500, has a high amount of gravel and dirt roads that were never designed to carry the traffic they now do.
Lennartz remained concerned the primary route to his home will remain closed for an indefinite period of time.
