Construction causes concerns for auto shop
As construction at Empire Communities’ Port Robinson subdivision continues in south Thorold, Mack Miskolczi’s frustration is also growing.
The City of Thorold approved the Port Robinson West Secondary Plan residential development in 2015. the construction is located to the west and east of the newly created Merritt Road exit from Highway 406.
The owner of Mack’s Automotive Inc. says the construction and road closures are hurting his business, which is located on the corner of Port Robinson Road and Kottmeier Road, and which borders a new roundabout adjacent to the subdivision.
“How do they (customers) know how to get to us? How do they know we’re open?” he says.
Miskolczi says he’s been unsuccessful in repeated attempts to communicate with city staff and politicians regarding a lack of signage, which he wants to let people know his business is open, what the road closures are and how people can access his garage during construction.
After meeting “a long time ago with the developer from Empire, we had a meeting with the city in August,” he said, including Sean Dunsmore, the city’s manager of engineering, to discuss the business owner’s concerns.
Prior to construction, Miskolczi had three entrances to his auto shop.
“Construction happens. I understand that,” he said.
But since work began, “You can only get in one (entrance), and I’ve had customers complain and deliveries complain,” he says.
“It’s causing me business loss.” According to Dunsmore, “We’re trying to build a roundabout. We’re also putting in water and sewer services so we’re trying to get all the construction done. He (MIskolczi) has three accesses to his business. Two of those accesses have been affected and we’ve been trying to negotiate that we’re willing to compensate him for the removal of two of those accesses and he’s not willing to agree with us, and that left us no choice but to move forward.
“He’s being inconvenienced, no question, but from my point of view, we have no choice but to eliminate those two accesses. The only access he’s left with will be on Port Robinson Road. We’ve been trying to come up with a new solution, including having one access on Kottmeier and one on Port Robinson (Road), and the traffic flow was good, but he didn’t accept that. We were also willing to create water and sanitary storm (systems) for him. So we’ve run into a road block at this time,” says Dunsmore.
The engineering manager refutes Miskolczi’s claims that he’s not communicating with him.
“I could show you about 50 or 60 emails,” says Dunsmore. “I have been emailing him at least once a week.”
In late October, Dunsmore says “the intersection should be done in the next 10 days or so, and then we have some work on Kottmeier, which shouldn’t directly affect him any more.”
Dunsmore says the subdivision is expected to be completed before the end of the year, and “Kottmeier will have some asphalt laid down by then.”
Miskolczi says he appreciated that Thorold city councillors Terry Ugulini and Jim Handley have come to hear his concerns.
“The city is working with the developer and trying to do everything they can to address the situation,” said Ugulini.