The debate about whether to keep 91原创鈥檚 oldest road intact or to pave it is getting as tired as the cracked concrete being driven on.
At Monday鈥檚 meeting, Township council once again debated spending $150,000 (up from the original $100,000) to study whether or not Old Yale Road should keep its original concrete surface or whether to pave the three kilometres.
One thing council could agree on was the cost of the study was too much of a financial hit for taxpayers.
鈥淭his is crazy. The road was built in 1923. We have residents older than that. This isn鈥檛 heritage,鈥� said Councillor Kim Richter.
鈥淟ift a piece of it, put it at the side of the road and resurface the road. Get on with it.鈥�
Councillor David Davis consulted the oldest resident living on Old Yale for his opinion.
鈥淏ill Berry is the oldest resident and he said he has no use for the road. 鈥楪et it fixed,鈥� he told me,鈥� said Davis. Several residents on Old Yale Road have written letters, asking that the road be paved. But others have written warning that paving the narrow road, which has a school on it, will make it become a speedway for drivers. The road also has no shoulder and the engineering department said, pedestrian safety will be looked at as well.
Councillor Grant Ward is in favour of preserving the road and of paying for the study.
鈥淎nything that鈥檚 old is going to cost money,鈥� said Ward who sits on the Township鈥檚 heritage advisory committee.
In the end, council referred the road project to the 2014 budget process, to expedite resurfacing the road while being sensitive to its heritage needs.
That means Old Yale Road resurfacing will become a capital project for 2014 with that getting underway, possibly in 2015.
The portion of road in question is cracking and lifting and is bumpy. An engineering design report will cost $300,000, council learned. That is the cost to look at any road surfacing, said Township engineer director Ramin Sefi.
鈥淣o wonder taxes go up and up,鈥� said Richter.
To the shock of council, they learned that it costs $1 million to pave one kilometre of road with asphalt.
鈥淭hat section is two to three kilometres long,鈥� said Sefi.
