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The City of Orillia published on July 25 the “Notice of Completion” for the realignment of Centennial Drive.
This is about the last opportunity for the public to object to this work. The documents are available for viewing at City Hall, the Library, and on the city’s website.
The most significant aspects of the project is a realignment of Centennial Drive and the extension of Coldwater Road to Centennial Drive.
The writer’s opinion is that the benefits do not justify the cost of the project, in particular the opening up of Coldwater Road. However, the more important aspect is that this project will entrench, for several generations, the size and character of the waterfront.
This road realignment will facilitate and encourage the urbanisation or the former CNR lands. These lands, while on paper may never have been part of the waterfront park, have for the last quarter century contributed visually to the park and have been used for park purposes during larger events.
This “park benefit" will be lost with the proposed road reconstruction.
A third aspect, which only affects a small segment of the community, is that the document appears to contain very little on where in Orillia boaters, who wish to launch into Lake Couchiching, can park their boat trailers.
Konrad Brenner
Ramara Township
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