Former Holmes Foundry site Nov. 29, 2016 (BlackburnNews.com photo by Melanie Irwin)Former Holmes Foundry site Nov. 29, 2016 (BlackburnNews.com photo by Melanie Irwin)
Sarnia

Village Council Non-Committal On $64K Question

Point Edward Council has stopped short of making a commitment to help the owners of the former Holmes Foundry site pay for an estimated $64,000 environmental assessment.

The 16-acre property at 200 Exmouth St., between Christina St. and Front St., is described as the crown jewel of development sites in the Sarnia area but has sat vacant for some 30 years.

After years of costly legal wrangling, several local individuals known as Point Edward Gateway Inc. took ownership of the property and listed it for sale in November for $7-million.

Village CAO Jim Burns says the request to pay for the phase two assessment is unexpected.

"They've done a phase one assessment that's pointed out some potential problem areas on the property," says Burns. "So the next step is to do a phase two assessment which is actually going in and taking core samples of the soil and such, they've got an estimate of $64,000 and they're asking the village to pay for that."

Burns says village council has made no decision on the request and is reaching out to MPP Bob Bailey and MP Marilyn Gladu to determine if there is anything they can help with.

He believes a phase two assessment is necessary as a prelude to possible commercial development.

Real estate broker Lou Longo has been trying to market the property for the owners but environmental concerns have been raised.

It's commercially zoned for a wide range of uses including retail and hotels or motels.

-With files from Josh Boyce

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