Access should be reviewed

July 30, 2013 · 0 Comments

A resident from the 8th Concession wrote that the 8th Concession is not suitable and should never be considered an access route for the Slokker/Metrus development in Nobleton, and while on the surface of it, I would agree wholeheartedly; there are factors to be considered in view of the Metrus/Slokker development.
The simple reality is that the traffic reports prepared for Slokker showed a traffic volume increase as a result of the Slokker development from 450 vehicle trips per day (pre-development) down Greenside Drive to an anticipated 4,500 vehicle trips per day down Greenside post-development. This does not factor in the Fandor (Stupp property) development or any of the other and multiple developments being considered and approved throughout Nobleton which will add to the logjams that will be the eventual end-result.
In due course, the demand will unquestionably exist for a secondary access and the Nobleton Community Plan sought to protect the 8th Concession; being the most logical and reasonable response to an eventual serious problem.
For my part, if I lived on the 8th I would be working very hard right now to create contingencies for when the Slokker/Metrus property is connected to the 8th. When I was on council I floated two possible suggestions, both theoretically designed to protect the majority of residents of the 8th Concession and the 15th Sideroad which quite simply involved dead-ending the 8th just south of the 15th; and allowing it to continue north from the 15th. In this way, the traffic from Nobleton, or more specifically the subdivisions, could only journey south to King Road and not use the 8th as an access road to other destinations.
Is it realistic? I don’t really know, but it would be a far better outcome than allowing unfettered access, in terms of the protection of the 8th Concession and 15th Sideroads from significantly heavier traffic volumes.
The sad part, in my view, is that the Township, by not demanding that the developer pay for it, saddled the ratepayers of King Township with a massive road building expense, that unfortunately will, eventually be a priority project; despite all the reasonable, rational and logical arguments against it.
I’m sorry, Jane. I understand your position only too well, and frankly was against the size of the Slokker development right from the word go. Your road considerations were one of a number of issues that weren’t carefully considered, but being in the position now, with all that’s going ahead, I see no alternative to the eventual linking of the Metrus/Slokker development to the 8th Concession.
Good luck with it.

Jeff Laidlaw