It appears County of Simcoe staff and Churchill church officials have mended fences over Yonge Street road reconstruction.
The county has confirmed it recently altered plans for the work to include a 15-metre-long mountable curb with a 2.5-metre-wide asphalt boulevard south of the church manse at 6253 Yonge St. (County Road 4). There will also be a one-metre asphalt boulevard constructed north on the driveway to the existing concrete walkway, to provide a path for pedestrians to access the property.
County staff also committed to paving the gravel driveway entrance from the edge of the road to the property line, said Steve Woods, husband of Gilford and Churchill United churches Rev. Krista Moore.
“While it is not as ideal as we had hoped, we believe it is the best that can be hoped for,” he said. “We could potentially have (three to four) cars park on the side, in the flow of traffic. It will still be a problem getting someone from south of the driveway to our front door, but it's at least something we can work with.”
A drainage swale may also mean landscaping in front of the manse will need to be removed, he said.
Located a few hundred metres south and on the other side of the road from the more prominent Churchill United Church property linked to it, the manse has served as the home for roughly 25 ministers since 1888 and acted, too, as a site for quilting and youth groups to meet, a host for Christmas meals, a confidential place for congregates to seek one-on-one counselling with the clergy of the day and a neutral venue for leaders of different denominations within the area to discuss common issues of concern.
However, the ongoing reconstruction and widening of the area around the County Road 4 and 4th Line intersection risked bringing that all to a halt. The proposed construction limits are on County Road 4 from Greg Gemmell Way to 400 m south of Meadowland Street, and along 4th Line from Valleyview Drive to 200 m east of County Road 4.
The initial plan had called for the installation of a new barrier curb and gutter along the stretch of County Road 4 that runs in front of the manse. While designed to increase safety and improve drainage, church leaders said it would have stopped on-street parking in its tracks.
“Our original design was approved with the most optimal engineering elements; however, our council was supportive of accommodating this request and we’re pleased we were able to find an alternative design while maintaining road safety,” county transportation construction manager Julie Scruton said.
Once complete, the work will also see improvements made to intersection safety, traffic control and active transportation, as well as upgrades to the existing storm sewer, retaining walls and concrete stairs.
Construction will run until late November. Then there will be a winter shutdown, with the remainder of work finished in spring and summer of 2025.
For more information on the reconstruction project, visit simcoe.ca.
