Sarnia City Hall. September 5, 2018. (Photo by Colin Gowdy, BlackburnNews)Sarnia City Hall. September 5, 2018. (Photo by Colin Gowdy, BlackburnNews)
Sarnia

Council briefs

Sarnia council has directed staff to work with the owners of the Bright's Grove Plaza to reduce traffic to Kaymar Crescent.

Frustrated neighbours told council on Monday that over 700 cars drive down their road each day, and cut through the plaza, as a shortcut to Lakeshore Road.

Additional signage and traffic reduction alternatives will now be explored with the plaza owner.

Data, included in a staff report, indicated a higher traffic volume than a typical crescent should experience, but there were no speed issues or record of collisions.

Five of 13 property owners on the section impacted asked that the access be closed.

However, staff warned that closing the access could open the city up to a potential lawsuit for violating an approved site plan agreement.

The owners have already paid to install speed bumps to reduce speeds and discourage cut-through traffic.

-----------------------------------------

Smile, you'll be on camera soon.

City council has accepted a $167,000 proposal to equip all of Sarnia's city buses with video surveillance cameras.

Each bus will be outfitted with a number of cameras to provide full coverage both inside and out.

The procurement is being handled by Metrolinx as a joint initiative with nine other transit operators for an estimated 445 vehicles.

Installation is expected by the end of this year.

--------------------------------------------

Council has approved changes to the City Economic Development Service.

Moving forward staff will focus more on inter-departmental coordination and closer linkages to development stakeholders and partners -- like the Sarnia-Lambton Economic Partnership.

The service has been consolidated with the planning, building and bylaw department and will now be known as Community Development Services and Standards.

----------------------------------------------

City funds from the 2017 and 2018 budgets have been officially allocated for the completion of the oversize load corridor project.

Sarnia's $4.7 million commitment joins the county's $1.2 million commitment, a $75,000 pledge from St. Clair Township and $10,000 from the Sarnia-Lambton Industrial Alliance.

The permanent corridor to truck industrial modules through the city to Sarnia Harbour is estimated to cost $12 million.

-----------------------------------------------

Council has approved a draft plan for a new subdivision on the west side of Upper Canada Drive.

52 semi-detached residential lots are planned north of Confederation Line and opposite David Bolduc Street.

Read More Local Stories