CW approves location and expansion of new operations centre

FERGUS – A new operations centre will officially set up shop on Gartshore Street. 

After a space needs assessment study in March concluded the current operations centre was experiencing "overcrowding" and "deficiencies based on the age and operation of the facilities," 965 Gartshore St. was selected as a suitable spot for redevelopment. 

The proposed operations centre includes a planning and development department, which expands the site by 2,820 square feet of office space and 25 parking spaces.

Marianne Iglesias, the city planner, confirmed an existing farm on the property is no longer in operation.

"The minimum distance separation calculation that impacted the site and sites around it, limited certain development basically from occurring," said Iglesias, during the meeting. 

Earlier this year, a public meeting about the new township operations centre sparked conversations about connecting Gartshore Street and Highway 6 to accommodate present and future traffic volumes. 

“There’s no development proposed at this time for those properties (but there was a barn on the site) that is no longer operational,” said Valerie Schmidt, leading planner for the project, during the meeting. “So it’s timely for us to redesignate those properties and put them in a designation that is compatible with the surrounding area, which would be a residential land use.” 

However, one of two delegates during the meeting, Fred Hiller, who runs H&R Machine on Gregson Court, shared he doesn’t think his community is ready for the proposed development, asking that councillors consider paving Gartshore Street "at least" down to Gregson. 

“Gordon Street is a hazard to anyone driving on it with all those trucks coming and going both ways,” said Hiller., during the public meeting “It never should’ve been built the way it is.”

According to Gilmore, the county's official plans include paving Gregson and Gartshore within the next 10 years. 

In addition to the proposed public works building, the township is also looking to designate properties owned adjacent to the site at 970 Gartshore and 101 Gregson Crt. 

Isabel Buckmaster is the Local Journalism Initiative reporter for GuelphToday. LJI is a federally-funded program.