Happier times ahead for Jolly Cut
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Q: At the end of Robinson Street in Niagara Falls is a beautiful scenic path and shortcut to the Niagara Parkway. Thousands and thousands of locals and tourists use this path during the summer months. It is in desperate need of repair. Is it possible to look into who is responsible for this job and the chances of it being repaired before someone gets seriously hurt? Would be nice to start the summer of 2019 with a nice new pathway or stairway.
A: There could be major changes coming to pathway known by locals as the Jolly Cut.
Improvements to the path — which links pedestrians from the base of Robinson Street to Queen Victoria Park — are part of greater plans to remove the Robinson Street bridge which would lower the road.
Niagara Falls director of municipal works Geoff Holman said the Jolly Cut is on the radar for improvements that would see it meet accessibility guidelines and be a good, safe way to enter the park.
He said the city and Niagara Parks Commission, which is in the process of finalizing a master plan for the park, would work closely together on any changes.
Robinson Street runs east in Niagara Falls and slopes upwards near Skylon Tower, ending in a cul-de-sac that is elevated with a safety railing. The hill is a bridge over an old CP rail line which is no longer in operation.
The north side of the cul-de-sac has a green space where hotel towers are planned for development.
Holman said he’s bringing a report to city council on Nov. 13 asking for funding to hire an engineering firm to help the city with design and construction cost estimates for the removal of the bridge, which will drop the grade of the roadway.
The second phase will be a request for funding in the 2019 budget for conducting an environmental assessment to look at streetscaping on Robinson Street and how to make the Jolly Cut accessible.
The high staircase at the end of Robinson Street which takes pedestrians down to the Jolly Cut would no longer be needed with the road drop, but another type of staircase or a ramp that meets today’s codes may be required.
Holman said right now it’s a hodgepodge of retaining walls and makeshift stairs.
“It’s not something we promote highly as a good way for getting up and down, but a lot of the locals will use it, especially during large events in the park like New Years Eve,” he said.
“It needs better lighting, better grading, a lot of new improvements, but we want to do it in concert with what the Parks Commission is proposing.”
Q: I was wondering what the plans are for the former cityowned golf course property that is adjacent to the Fairview Mall in St. Catharines?
A: There’s nothing scheduled in the short-term for the property, but the city says it has plans to study its full potential in the future.
The former golf course on Geneva Street was closed in 2015 and the city transitioned it into a passive park.
Phil Cristi, St. Catharines director of parks, recreation and culture, said the property is one of the city’s parks slated for a master planning process.
That process, which Sunset Beach is currently going through, gives the city an idea of what kind of improvements or features should be incorporated into a park and involves community consultation.