Common Council giving their staff and outside consultants 8 weeks to report back with a recommendation concerning the erosion problem on Sand Cove Road.
Mayor Mel Norton won’t rule out fixing the problem this year through the capital budget.
He says it would be something that council would have to look at in terms of what that would mean to the capital budget process, and the cost overall.
Norton says he wants staff and outside consultants to have enough time to get the right work done, and to put all their effort into getting answers to report back with in the next two months.
Mike Hugenholtz is the Deputy Commissioner of Transportation & Environment Services for the city.
He gave common council three recommendations, which include rerouting the roadway around the area of concern, installing a breakwater to prevent some of the slope failure issues and the third option of looking at a system of wells to relieve some of that poor water pressure within the weak soils layer.
Councillor John MacKenzie suggested building a temporary road to avoid anyone being on it, if it were to give out.
Councillor Bill Farren disagreed, saying he liked the intent, but he doesn’t want staff slowing down during their 8 week time frame to look at solutions which he referred to as a “Band-Aid approach”.
David McAllister has lived on Sand Cove Road his entire life.
He says he understands having to wait two months before any action is taken, because the city has a lot of factors to look at before making a decision to fix the problem.
McAllister says the city has a lot more at stake compared to residents.
He says there is no room for a temporary road and says it’s a “one way road in and out”.
