June 25, 2014

Environmental assessment to start on dam

As published in The Erin Advocate

The Town will hire Triton Engineering to do an Environmental Assessment of the Station Street dam and pond area, but possible reconstruction of the bridge and dam will not happen until after the study is complete in January of 2016.

Road Superintendent Larry Van Wyck said the long time frame is needed to gather all the necessary data. He recommended Triton because of their familiarity with issues in that area of Hillsburgh.

Council will ask the Ministry of Natural Resources for an extension of its deadline (originally June 1, 2014) for the Town to apply for permission to do the actual reconstruction.

The Town did emergency repairs to the deteriorating structure in 2012, and there has been ongoing debate about whether to retain the 19th Century mill pond.

Council has allocated $190,000 in its 2014 budget for the environmental assessment, but the full project is expected to cost well over $2 million.