in Chatsworth, Grey Highlands, Southgate, West Grey
December 24, 2024
BY SOUTHGREY.CA STAFF — Residents raised their objections to yet another proposal at local government — this one, a Grey County initiative — which lands at number 8 in our list of top stories in 2024.
In January, the Niagara Escarpment Commission (NEC) conditionally approved a Grey County application for development of a parking lot on the parcel of vacant land at the southwest intersection of Grey Road 30 and Grey Road 13 in Grey Highlands. The proposed 20-space lot would have been constructed where a southbound ramp from Grey Road 30 currently turns onto Grey Road 13 just south of Kimberley.
But in a letter to Grey County CAO Kim Wingrove, written on behalf of the Kimberley Safety Group, Martha Rogers claimed that no one had been consulted on the proposal. Citing the dangerous nature of the intersection, speeding cars and near-miss accidents, the group warned of adding pedestrians to the mix, walking considerable distances from the proposed parking lot to access the Conservation lands into the Kimberley Forest, or to access the Kimberley Trail.
In CAO Kim Wingrove's absence, Grey County Communications Manager Robert Hatten attempted to calm the concerns of residents. "We can certainly appreciate concerns around safety. Safety considerations are paramount an any Grey County project or design. At this point the NEC application is a proactive action we have taken. Road improvements for Grey Road 30 are included in the 2024 budget. The NEC application was submitted so a parking lot project could potentially proceed if it makes sense to do so during construction. We still need to sort out details like ongoing maintenance and have community consultation before anything will be decided. We are scheduling community information session for the whole of the Grey Road 30 project in the spring. Grey County initiated a Trail Head Study in 2022. This study identified a need for more parking in the Kimberly Forest area. Currently we see vehicles parked on the side of the road which creates its own safety concerns. This parking lot is being considered to support trail users and alleviate some of the safety concerns along this stretch of the road."
A few months later, Grey County abandoned the plan for this parking lot.
Read the original story:
NEC gives approval of parking lot south of Kimberley, local residents not amused
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