Wellington update

A look back and ahead at the halfway point of my term

BY COUNCILLOR MIKE HARPER

As we find ourselves at the halfway mark of this term of council, I thought it would be a good time to reflect on what you identified during the election as the top issues facing Wellington—where progress has been made, and where we need to pull up our socks. So, starting with water pressure problems. The design phase for our new water tower is underway. Its location: just south of the Lehigh arena lands (gravel parking lot). Construction to start next Fall. The water trucks that fill up at Wellington Beach will be redirected to the new water tower once constructed.

The water tower replacement is part of the broader infrastructure changes coming to Wellington. Many of you know something of the residential development plans for Wellington. Our village is set to grow. Why? Because the demand is there, and seems poised to be even stronger as a result of the pandemic. The benefit to us is having more people to spread out the underlying costs of those high water bills. The other reason we’re on a track of growth: Back in 2015, council and the public gave their blessing to a new Wellington Secondary Plan that details where and how much growth can occur. That legal document essentially says, “Wellington is open for business.” And now we are seeing the effects. There are four residential developments that are fairly far along in the application/approval process. You ask, who is paying for all the roads and water infrastructure needed? The short answer: developers pay the lion’s share. We will be paying some of it (e.g., water tower) because it would have been needed regardless of whether there was growth. So at the moment, staff and the developers are working on the details. As part of these discussions, they are waiting for a province-mandated Development Charges study to establish the cost per house that developers will need to pay. Once in hand, staff and developers will negotiate an agreement, and present it this Spring to council for approval. This will set the stage for the rest of the infrastructure: the eventual construction of water and sewage treatment plants, and their new connecting trunk lines, which are currently in the design phase.

A second theme during the 2018 election was better management of Wellington Beach. At the time, the issue was largely operational (i.e., cleaning and maintenance). There was also the growing issue of congestion due to increased number boaters, bikers, walkers and sunbathers all clamouring to get up and down Beach Street. Well, our world got rocked this year, as our little gem became a magnet for day-trippers from the GTA who were turned away from Sandbanks. This caused a great amount of frustration and grief for both residents and businesses. Our Operations department and staff responsible for tourism are developing a specific plan for summer 2021 that will address: overcrowding and traffic control; clean-up; residents’ access to beach and boat launches; parking and enforcement. Beyond 2021, a longer term tourism plan is coming that balances the needs and wishes of residents with the reality that tourism is a big part of our economy. The development of a Wellington waterfront master plan will include among other things: determining the best location for boat launches for West Lake; the future role and scale of the Wellington marina; beach/park layout.

Another election issue for Wellington residents was bringing some law and order to the short-term accommodation (STA) sector. Many of our homes that were once full-time rentals were converted to STAs. This has displaced full-time residents and contributed to an affordable housing problem. Licensing and inspection of these rental units got underway in 2020. A scheduled revisit of the regulations is coming soon, based on lessons learned in first year of operation. Also coming is a Municipal Accommodation Tax (MAT), which gets the municipality some revenue to help manage this segment of our economy.

Another top election issue was safety and congestion on Main Street. Earlier this year we had the speed reduction to 40 kilometres per hour between Consecon and Beach Streets. Council has approved a series oneway streets (West, Water, Narrow) that will improve the congestion and safety in the busy months. This will be in place this Spring. The long-awaited crosswalk in the vicinity of Town Hall/CML Snider is also expected to be approved and installed in time for next summer. The Traffic Advisory Committee received a deputation last month from yours truly on additional traffic calming measures needed at Beach and Belleville Streets— again in support of slowing things down and making things safer for all concerned. And finally, a key component to improving summer conditions in and around Main Street is a parking strategy. I will have an update early in the New Year.

Another Main Street issue for many is the Wellington Hotel. I got this update on Friday from owner Kelly Buckingham: “The Wellington Hotel project maintains its original vision to restore the 192 Main St. property to its former beauty, including the reestablishment of the front lawn as gardens and green space. The Inn and four-season Restaurant and Bar plan to welcome visiting and local guests alike, late summer 2021.”

I’d like to finish off with an update on one of my personal pet projects—the old convenience store situated at Main and Wharf. It’s officially for sale. Now, this is not your typical real estate transaction with an asking price. We are looking for the right person/ group to work with, the goal being the highest and best use for the property that ensures we preserve the historical character of Main Street whilst giving it some much needed quality commercial space. A request for Expression of interest (EOI) is posted (www.thecounty.ca/residents/services/purchasing).

It’s been a crazy, stressful year. Hang in there, with fingers crossed for a return to some kind of normalcy by next summer. In the meantime, stay safe, and I wish you and your family all the best in 2021.