‘Not our vision’

Wellington’s Main Street has changed only incrementally over the past century. Its historic character and story book charm has inspired artist Pam Carter to create and sell dozens of paintings.

Residents push back at plan to smash buildings in Wellington historic core

A groundswell of resistance is forming over the prospect of a parkette, parking lot or combination on the northwest corner of Wellington’s main intersection. Several dozen names have already been compiled in a petition calling for either the building to be preserved or, failing that, rebuilt once the creek has been reframed and covered again.

Last month, the municipality agreed to purchase two buildings at 282 and 284 Main Street in Wellington. Both were built straddling Lane Creek more than a century ago. But a routine inspection in 2011 of the municipality’s culverts under Wharf and Main Streets revealed the privately owned structure keeping these buildings out of the creek had deteriorated, and was threatening to collapse.

Fearing it would be stuck with the liability and the subsequent costs of a tragedy that seemed overdue, the County’s engineering team developed plans to reroute the creek out from under these and another building on Main Street.

They had hoped to escape the liability exposure but in doing so the County managed to stir up concerns about spawning fish, business disruption in the village core and mounting costs. Originally pegged at $640,000, the most recent estimates for the project approached an eye-watering $1.8 million.

So earlier this spring the County began negotiations to buy the two buildings on the northwest corner. The sale is expected to close at the end of August. (Repairs to the culvert under the building on the south side are considered to be manageable.)

The County intends to smash the buildings at 282 and 284 Main Street to erase the liability exposure. What happens next is the question that has gripped many village residents, including Pamela Carter. Carter has painted dozens of works featuring the convenience store in the village streetscape.

She is leading an effort to persuade County officials to retain the buildings—at the very least the convenience store building. She has spoken with a representative of the Ontario Architectural Conservancy Trust who has advised her that the building’s age, position at the centre of the village and distinctive architectural features make it a good candidate for preservation.

She is reaching out to other heritage and conservancy groups in an effort to establish the historic value of the building and its place in the story of Wellington.

But support to retain this building, or rebuild after the creek issues have been dealt with, extends beyond heritage. Businesses and residents are loathe to see retail and residential space disappear from the village core. They foresee a hit to the vitality and drawing power of the village. Others fear an exodus to the outskirts with the loss of these two buildings.

Outside of Wellington, taxpayers are perplexed about the $1.4 million price tag to rehabilitate Lane Creek, and in particular the rationale for spending more than $600,000 to create a parkette in the middle of the village.

County officials have said they will present their current plans in a public information session in the village. No date has yet been set.

The petition is available for review and signing at Sidestreet Gallery at 264 Main Street in Wellington.