Creek wins

On the upside, losing the convenience store and former pizza shop will afford a unobstructed view of the village abattoir.

Either the buildings or the creek had to move. The buildings lost.

Wellington’s main intersection, at Main and Wharf Streets, is about to change—dramatically so. The buildings and property on the northwest corner of the intersection, currently housing a convenience store and, until recently, a pizza shop, have been purchased by the municipality and will soon be demolished.

They will be cleared to enable the County to establish an easement, ensuring access to Lane Creek, which flows beneath the buildings. Doing so enables the municipality to abandon plans—in the works for the past four years—to reroute the creek underneath Wharf Street, across the intersection with Main. The last estimate for the rerouting plan, according to the County’s 2015 capital budget, was more than $1.7 million. Further, it was unclear what the municipality might encounter when it opened up the roadway, increasing the risk of cost overruns.

Instead, the creek will remain where it is. The County hopes to save at least $200,000 on the total project cost, although more savings may be available if the site can be redeveloped—perhaps resold.

In a statement issued last week the County indicated it hoped to retain control of the corner lot as a public space, suggesting either a parking lot or a small park be developed. It will hold a public information session providing an update to the project at a yet-to-be-determined time and location.

THE STORY TO DATE
The project’s backstory has many twists and turns. In 2011, the municipality conducted provincially mandated inspections of the culverts that form a conduit for the creek as it runs under Wharf and Main Streets. That inspection revealed serious structural problems under the convenience store and former pizza store. Lacking any barrier or protection, decades of water flow had taken a toll. Assessments at that time indicated that some of the structural timbers were greatly compromised and likely give out, potentially causing the buildings to collapse.

County engineers developed an array of options— most involved redirecting the creek under the publicly owned Wharf Street southward. Concerns about spawning fish eliminated one option to reroute the mouth of the creek to the foot of Wharf Street.

Ultimately, the County decided to redirect the creek south on Wharf Street, through the intersection with Main, before reuniting it with the existing creek traversing property owned by the Drake Devonshire. The plan was approved by Quinte Conservation and Canada’s Department of Fisheries and Oceans.

The original estimate, in 2013, was $640,000 to be funded by gas tax revenue. The next year the estimated price rose to nearly $1.2 million. Last December, the County set aside $1.7 million for the project.

County officials say purchasing these two building had always been weighed as part of its consideration of the project. But it is clear that after the estimates tripled, and uncertainty about what lay under the roadway grew, the prospect of leaving the creek where it lies became more attractive.

Last week the County agreed to pay the owner of the property at 282 and 284 Main Street an undisclosed amount of money to purchase the property.

The debate has begun as to what should happen next, now that the property belongs to the public. One experienced structural engineer believes the buildings should stay put—that demolishing these building will dramatically alter the historic appeal of the village’s main intersection.

This engineer believes it is unnecessary to destroy the buildings to rehabilitate the creek and the spans that support the structures.

Others insist that if the buildings come down, they must be replaced. Some say removing these buildings without replacing them is akin to losing a front tooth and choosing not to replace it.

Wellington needs retail space and affordable residential apartments. The property affords the opportunity to do both. Moreover, selling the property with strict ties controlling how it is developed may allow the County to recover its investment and lower the overall project cost.

County commissioner Robert McAuley warns, however, that rebuilding on top of the rehabilitated creek, would put the municipality back into the position it has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to avoid.

Ultimately, it will be council’s decision about what direction the project will take and how best to enhance Wellington’s downtown streetscape.