Inconvenience

Heritage committee weighs in as Lane Creek study drags on

The summer has been warm and dry. While the lazy water of Lane Creek, which flows southwest through Wellington, has receded into the weeds where it can be seen along the Millennium Trail, under the bridge on Niles Street and along the western border of CML Snider.

The water hardly seems to cause any turmoil as it slips under Wharf Street behind Pomodoro, only to reappear again on the west side of the Drake Devonshire property.

As slow as the water is right now, it’s matched by the inner workings at Shire Hall, where a once-urgent matter has now stretched on for a year.

It’s a notable problem on a tiny downtown stretch in a village that more than doubles in size during the summer as tourists flood the streets. The two buildings at the corner of Wharf and Main Streets—the former home of Rock’N Rogers and the Wellington Convenience store—stand empty in what should be a booming seasonal economy.

But the buildings, which the County purchased last year and slated for demolition, sit empty and idle.

Despite a full year, despite public consultations and expert opinions, the County has yet to decide the fate of the corner store.

Last week, the Prince Edward County Heritage Committee (PEHAC) offered their view. Engineer and PEHAC member, Ernie Margetson, who has previously consulted for the County on heritage matters, prepared a comprehensive report with a history of Wellington’s Main Sreet, the makeup and importance of the well-used buildings—since they were built, they have only been vacant this past year—and the need to protect them.

“Both buildings are modest and may be considered ‘everyday’ small-town buildings, but their authenticity and well-used history provide character and continuity to Wellington history,” Margetson wrote. “These buildings make it apparent that County heritage is not just about the grand buildings … it is also about the smaller, less-refined buildings, where personal experiences and interactions are made, and where the community has passed by one another for over 100 years.”

He concluded the report with the opinion that the County should put in every effort to preserve both 282 and 284 Main Street, Wellington. That view was strongly endorsed by PEHAC.

PEHAC decided to submit the report to County council as their position on the next steps for the now-County-owned property.

But those next steps are still far away.

Community Development manager Neil Carbone says that since the buildings are now vacant, the urgency originally placed on replacing the Lane Creek culvert has been eased.

The County’s original proposal was to raze the buildings and replace them with either a park or parking lot. That plan was halted by a group of residents horrified to think Wellington’s tiny centre of commerce would be left with a notable gap, right at the busiest intersection.

A public consultation held in December left County staff with much to think about, including near unanimous support for maintaining a building on the corner of Wharf and Main. Staff was assigned to prepare an engineering report and present options to council for an alternative plan.

Almost eight months later, that report has yet to be completed.

“Our engineering consultants are continuing to review a number of realignment options for the creek through the property at 282 Main Street,” explains Carbone. “Specifically, we are exploring whether or not the creek can be diverted around either the existing structure or a new structure while remaining on the property. Nothing has been ruled out at this stage.”

Carbone says staff are aiming for a fall deadline to complete the study and hold a second round of community consultations, but no deadline has been set for those goals, much less to begin work on the culvert.

Carbone was unable to explain how or if the building could be maintained, and what would be done with the property once the work is complete.

“This question can’t be answered until we decide what will be there. There are several mechanisms that could provide a measure of control for the design of a building including the Wellington Secondary Plan, Site Plan Control, zoning requirements and/or stipulations in a purchase/ sale agreement with council,” Carbone explained.

Questions directed to the planning department were not answered.

In his report, Margetson suggested the discussion so far has focused too narrowly on the former convenience store. He says the debate has largely ignored the smaller building at 282 Main Street.

Margetson says this is a mistake. Although the building may not be salvageable, something similar should be built to replace it, in his view.

“That little building seems like the sacrificial lamb in this. It has to be that it’s going to go. Forget about it. We’ve decided that we’re going to keep the corner building. The other one is just gone. And I think if the second building is gone, it also makes quite a hole in the streetscape. It changes the character of that intersection.”