Sparks Street sidewalk project quashed by city council

In another change of course, this year’s water main and road rehabilitation project on Sparks Street will not include the construction of a sidewalk along its north side.

This, despite an impassioned effort by Ward 12 Coun. Joscelyne Landry-Altmann, speaking on behalf of a neighbourhood of people in New Sudbury advocating for the sidewalk.

But, with a wealth of infrastructure needs and a Sparks Street sidewalk falling low on the city’s list of priorities, a majority of city council members voted down the proposal.

This dynamic story began earlier this year, when a report by city administration sparked controversy with its recommended approach to an infrastructure project on Sparks Street.

In the city’s recommendation, Sparks Street, from Barrydowne Avenue to Roy Avenue, would be rehabilitated to the status quo of its former glory, with the addition of speed humps.

Area residents wanted the city to proceed with a project that included a sidewalk on the north side of the road, which would cost an additional $1 million and delay the project to 2025.

The sidewalk is so expensive because it requires the installation of a storm sewer to replace a ditch, city traffic and asset management supervisor Joe Rocca explained.

Ward 12 Coun. Joscelyne Landry-Altmann successfully championed the neighbourhood’s sidewalk advocacy during an operations committee meeting last month, securing a supportive vote of 4-3.

The tides turned during Tuesday’s city council meeting, when at the close of a more than hour-long discussion, the city’s elected officials declined to ratify the committee’s decision.

Instead, they reverted to the city’s original proposal, which will see Sparks Street rehabilitated in its current format, with the addition of speed humps, at a total cost of $1.88 million.

Only Landry-Altmann, Ward 10 Coun. Fern Cormier, Ward 8 Coun. Al Sizer and Ward 11 Coun. Bill Leduc voted in favour of adding a sidewalk to the project, with the balance of city council voting against it.

The decision capped off a more than hour-long discussion, which included speeches on both sides of the debate.

Ward 1 Coun. Mark Signoretti initiated the discussion by pulling last month’s committee decision back up for debate.

An on-site review of the street inspired his decision, Signoretti said, noting there’s little traffic on the street, with plenty of room for pedestrians.

Central to the sidewalks debate has been a 14-unit seniors housing complex being constructed on Sparks Street.

Although there’s no sidewalk running east/west along Sparks Street in front of the property, Signoretti noted there’s a north/south sidewalk running directly next to it on Holland Road.

The Holland Road sidewalk connects the property to both the New Sudbury Public Library and Lasalle Boulevard, which has sidewalks along both sides of the east/west major arterial road.

“Access to the main artery is clearly identified with sidewalks, so to proceed with this project and delay it for another year when it’s shovel-ready and can proceed this year, I cannot support it,” Signoretti said.

A few other elected officials also centred their comments on a perceived wealth of sidewalks in the area, with Ward 4 Coun. Pauline Fortin commented, “I actually have sidewalk envy.”

There are streets in greater need of sidewalks, Ward 9 Coun. Deb McIntosh said, noting, “We have limited funds to invest in our assets and we need a means of prioritizing those investments.”

The stretch of Sparks Street up for debate includes road segments with sidewalk priority index rankings of between 236 and 699, indicating there are 235 higher up on the list.

Landry-Atlamann argued the sidewalk priority index needs to be rejigged, noting, “If we are competing with large arterial roads all the time, we’re going to lose. All the local roads in this town are going to lose.”

The pro-sidewalk contingent of city council argued that if not now, it’ll be decades until a sidewalk is built on Sparks Street, and that building one would be in keeping with various policies city council has adopted, including Complete Streets, which considers the needs of all users, including motorists, people who walk, cycle, use mobility devices and public transit.

The city often requires developers to pay for sidewalks to be constructed in front of their properties, and Leduc argued the city is being hypocritical by not requiring the same for the municipal seniors housing complex.

“Our planning department makes it a condition for the building approval, and yet it seems that we, as council, can bend the rules for our own development,” he said. “Let’s do things right the first time.”

Both the Sparks Street water main replacement/road rehabilitation project and the 14-unit seniors housing complex are anticipated to be completed this year.