At the Tuesday, Feb 8th session of Carleton Place council’s committee of the whole, staff brought forward requests from the McArthur Island developer for agreement extensions on the first two phases of a five phase residential/commercial complex. From the beginning the island proposal has met and satisfied a large number of planning and environmental regulations from a series of government bodies. The pandemic’s hit to the construction industry has been felt nation-wide and the builder was asking for a two-year extension to keep things on track and qualify for financing. The committee approved the request.
The builder, Mr. Casey Van Dongen, appearing from his British Columbia office, stated he wanted to see construction start as soon as possible on the first phase. The final condition to obtain its building permit was met when the Mississippi Conservation Authority provided its final approval in November of last year. While the staff report indicated no off-site works could occur until the central bridge project was completed late this year, Van Dongen indicated his team could construct the multi-storey building while obeying restrictions near the public roadway, and municipal water service was already at his property’s edge. He gave a number of examples of his firm’s achievements in safely completing major construction on existing and operating facilities such as airport terminals.
The access to the site is in between the two one-lane bridges that service McArthur Island, also known as the back bridges. This route is currently being used as a northbound-only detour with the central bridge out of commission for much of this year. This detour is challenging to navigate at low speeds with several sharp turns, limited visibility due to terrain and existing buildings, and an intersection with the OVR Trail which is seeing an increase in pedestrian use since the central bridge’s closure.
The town’s public works department has done a great job of keeping snow removed and barriers visible and in place. How traffic will respond with an increase in heavy truck and equipment movement remains to be seen.