|
 BARRYDOWNE EXTENSION
CLICK
HERE FOR VIDEO RESPONSE
There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that the Barrydowne
Extension highway would be something that would be nice to have
and it would be nice to have within the next ten years.
However, it will take more than just a few power point
presentations to the Planning Committee; it will take more than
just a petition containing several thousand names; it will take
more than just a bus load of people making the trip to City
Hall, and; it will take more than people simply saying that they
want to shorten the time it takes to get to Sudbury.
The Barrydowne Extension will be built.
It has to be built.
It is inevitable.
But it will only be built if a number of other things are done
right first.
Personally, I look forward to seeing the completion of the
Barrydowne Extension. I also look forward to the challenge of
helping make this come to reality if I am chosen to represent
Ward 5. I believe I can make things happen so that City
Council will see the benefits of this project.
WHAT IS THE BARRYDOWNE EXTENSION?
The Barrydowne Extension is a highway that will be built from
the corner of Barrydowne Road and Maley Drive directly north to
connect to the corner of Bodson Drive and Notre Dame Avenue.
Main Street in Val Caron will also be extended to intersect with
the new highway so that all people in Valley East and Capreol
will have access to the new road way.
What the Barrydowne Extension will do is provide a direct route
to New Sudbury for the communities of Valley East and Capreol.
It will have an impact on just about every aspect of life in
those two communities. Unfortunately, it is not a high priority
capital project at this time and until it gains more of a
priority with City Council it is not going to happen.
LAYING THE GROUNDWORK
The Barrydowne Extension may not be needed right at this time,
however, with the projected growth of Valley East and the mining
developments north of Capreol, there is every indication that
the need will be there within the next ten years. Therefore, it
is time right now to prepare a proper plan and get things in
place.
If elected as Councillor of Ward 5 I will make sure that there
is a need for the Barrydowne Extension by working on the
following:
 |
First of all I will do everything I can to get City Council
to order an environmental assessment for the Barrydowne
Extension as soon as possible. That EA must identify the
pathway of the highway, develop a cost analysis for the
project, and identify all of the variances that must be
adjusted in order to allow for the highway.
|
|
Secondly, I will work on securing the necessary funding to
improve the infrastructure of the Hanmer area with respect
to water and sewer capacity. Right now the pipes are not up
to standard with respect to size. Developers are finding
the cost to upgrade a detriment to building new houses.
Until we fix the infrastructure problem, it will be hard to
imagine any significant residential growth in the community
of Hanmer. All of the growth will have to take place in the
Val Caron, Blezard Valley and Val Therese areas. This may
not be a bad thing, but we will have a more complete
community if we can fix the infrastructure problem. Once the
Barrydowne Extension is in place, Hanmer could become a very
popular place for new home construction.
|
|
Third, I will aggressively promote the development of
residential subdivisions in the vacant land in Valley East.
In order to create a need for the Barrydowne Extension, we
will require a growth in population of approximately 5000
people in Valley East. This means that we will require an
additional 2000 new homes. My goal is to see 500 new homes
built in Valley East each year for the next five years. Once
our population has grown to this level, the existing
Regional Road 80 will not be able to handle the traffic load
and this will force the construction of the Barrydowne
Extension.
|
|
Fourth, I will aggressively promote the creation of
additional day care spaces in Valley East. At the present
time there is a serious lack of day care spaces in this part
of the City of Greater Sudbury. Until we satisfy the needs
of young parents with respect to day care facilities, it
will be difficult to attract them as new residents. Young
families must live where day care is available.
|
|
Fifth, I will aggressively facilitate the construction of
apartment complexes for senior citizens. Many seniors would
like to move to an apartment within the community, but there
are very few available. If we can provide them with
apartments, then it will open up more homes for new
residents and we will move closer to our population target
|
|
Sixth, I will aggressively promote the Valley East
Industrial Park for new businesses and industries from
outside the community. If we can create new job
opportunities in the Industrial Park, we will see our
population increase more rapidly.
|
|
Seventh, I will see to it that there is adequate funding for
our neighbourhood playgrounds and recreational facilities.
These are the jewels of our community. When young families
are looking for a place to buy a home, playgrounds are
important to them. We must come up with proper funding and
supervision of our playgrounds to provide families with a
wholesome place where they can enjoy recreational activities
with their children. |
AN IMPACT STUDY IS IMPORTANT
During the next several years it will be important to work on an
"Impact Study" for the Barrydowne Extension project.
For example, a Barrydowne Extension will effectively remove all
Valley East vehicles from Lasalle Blvd. If we took away the
Valley East traffic from Lasalle Blvd., there may not be a need
for the Maley Drive Extension. If I can show City Council that a
Barrydowne Extension will prevent the need for a Maley Drive
Extension, then part of the $30 million that was slated for that
roadway can be used to build the Barrydowne Extension.
We also must do an impact study on how the Barrydowne Extension
will affect existing retail businesses in Valley East. For
example, will the Barrydowne Extension simply make it easier for
people to get to and from work in Sudbury, or will it be used to
make it easier to shop in Sudbury? If it is the latter, then our
commercial sector will be devastated, and a community without a
healthy retail sector is not a community. In other words, are we
going to become a "subdivision of Sudbury" with the Barrydowne
Extension, or will this roadway simply attract more residential
development from people who want to escape the trappings of the
city core? If it is the latter, then the retail sector of Valley
East will flourish and provide a solid foundation for the
community.
We also must find out where the current traffic is heading
during rush hours along Regional Road 80. If most of the people
using RR 80 right now are going to work in the downtown Sudbury,
or the south end, or the west side of the City of Greater
Sudbury, then a Barrydowne Extension will not alleviate the rush
hour traffic at all. People will still use the RR 80 route to
get to work. New residents who locate in Valley East during the
next five years may simply add to the traffic congestion along
RR 80 and we may not be any better off. On the other hand, if we
can attract a lot of new residents who work in the East side of
the City of Greater Sudbury, then the Barrydowne Extension will
be used to stimulate even more new population growth.
It is my opinion that an Environmental Assessment along with an
impact study will demonstrate that Valley East is the ideal
place for future residential growth in the City of Greater
Sudbury. Furthermore, the Barrydowne Extension will serve as a
connector road to Sudbury for Valley East and Capreol. This
northern expansion makes a lot of sense because of the space and
geography of this community.
CONCLUSION
We have our work cut out for us.
We must do things that will facilitate rapid population growth
in Valley East if we hope to see the construction of the
Barrydowne Extension. This is a lot more than just a road
project. It is a whole new direction for the City of Greater
Sudbury. It will take a lot of "strategic positioning" and a lot
of "lobbying" of City Councillors.
I believe it can be done, and I believe it has to be done by the
right person. I believe I am the right person for the job and I
look forward to the challenge with the support of the entire
community.
RETURN TO ROBERT KIRWAN'S HOME PAGE
|
