LaSalle OKs deal to replace boat dock
Rowing club to pay part of $60K cost
A revised offer of $20,000 toward the estimated $60,000 cost of a specialized dock at Gil Maure Park by the LaSalle Rowing Club was enough for the town to commit to the project.
LaSalle councillors rejected a previous offer of $5,000 by the club, whose members would use the dock the majority of the time.
A new low-profile launch is needed to replace the aging, dilapidated structure currently on the park’s waterfront. The lower profile allows for easier access to rowboats, kayaks and canoes.
Deputy Mayor Marc Bondy said the agreement is good for the town.
“This is a $60,000 project. To get any moneys from any third party is great,” Bondy said. “We’re not great at receiving grants from the province or the feds, so by giving us their commitment, hopefully they’ll be there for a while and help subsidize the cost.”
The 35-member rowing club built the current wooden deck and moved it to its location near the River Dance facility where the club meets and stores its equipment.
The LaSalle Rowing Club will provide $5,000 at the start of the project and $5,000 when the replacement dock is installed. After that, the club will make $1,000 payments per year, starting in 2019, for 10 years.
The town has agreed to share information with the club on project quotes. As well, the new dock must be at least the same size as the current structure.
Bondy said the town rejected the club’s request for final approval on the quote and design of the replacement dock, but will include them in the design process so that the club’s operational needs will be met.
“We said no, you can have a say in the design, but the final say still rests with the town,” he said.
In other council business, the town will go ahead with a study on storm drainage outlets for the Bouffard Road and Howard Avenue planning district on the northeast end of the municipality.
The study, expected to cost between $150,000 and $200,000, will review existing municipal drains in the area and water flows through to the Canard River. It also will provide recommendations for improvements to the existing drainage systems, drains and outlets.
“We have storm drainage, surface drainage issues,” Bondy said. “Our problem is because we are so flat and we have drains, ditches, call them what you want, when we have these storms, water has nowhere to go.”
Peter Marra, director of public works, said the study is needed to provide the Essex Region Conservation Authority and the town with an overall approach to solving drainage issues, alleviate any flooding concerns and allow development to occur.
It’s estimated another 20,000 to 30,000 residents could be accommodated over the next 20 to 30 years in that area.
Much of the land is farmed presently and the fields hold the water or it moves through tiles to drains. But once its developed and there are houses and roads and sidewalks, “that water has to go somewhere fast,” Bondy said.
“Rather than wait for developers to come in and pay for everything, because they can’t afford these costs, we’re being proactive in looking for solutions.”