An effort to improve the crosswalk that goes over the highway that runs through the middle of Carrot River is seeing progress.
The Town of Carrot River has let the highways ministry know that it’s willing to contribute half of the cost of replacing the crosswalk over Highway #23 as part of an effort to make the project a priority.
“We’re meeting Sept. 19 with the Ministry of Highways staff,” said Kevin Trew, the town’s administrator, just after the Aug. 24 council meeting.
The total cost could range from $30,000 to $40,000. The town is hoping to approach local organizations like the Carrot River Young Women’s Club to help pay for the project, but Trew said it will start that effort once it has a better idea about its details.
“What council has asked is we will go with that information to organizations in town and just see if anybody’s interested in contributing.”
Council rejects industrial use for old liquor store
Due to fears about what could happen in the future, council voted to kibosh a process that would allow industrial uses on the property where the former government liquor store was.
The site of the store, 1202 First St. W, is designated for residential use, but had its use as a commercial liquor store grandfathered.
The owner of the site, the Carrot River Knights Inc., had a conditional sale to someone who wants to build a workshop to support a leafcutter bee operation, with the sale only going through if the town would allow them to do that. That is classified as an industrial use.
To change the property for industrial use, the proposed change would have to be advertised in a local newspaper, nearby property owners would have to be alerted, there would be a public hearing at a council meeting and the provincial government would have to approve the change.
Council decided to not begin that process, as they feared that allowing an industrial use on that land could result in something more intense than a workshop if it changed hands in the future. Trew also pointed out there was land approved for industrial uses available elsewhere in town.
Mayor Bob Gagné and Coun. Neil Wasko declared a conflict of interest and were not in the room when discussion and voting on the issue took place.
