Sand remaining on Beach Drive as town moves ahead with redevelopment plans

Due to continued high water levels and as part of the redevelopment of town-owned land at the beachfront the sand will remain on Beach Drive for the summer of 2021 and beyond.

“We are excited to be revitalizing this popular space,” Mayor Nina Bifolchi said. “Now is a period of transition, but ultimately we will end up with an area that affords exciting new opportunities.”

The town chose to keep the sand on Beach Drive in the fall of 2019 after several high water events caused flooding at Beach Drive, resulting in thousands of dollars in clean-up costs for the municipality.

With water levels still high in 2020, the town kept the sand on Beach Drive.

Keeping the sand on the road allowed the town to convert it to a makeshift beach. The move proved popular with so much of the actual beach under water.

Great Lakes water levels continue to track below last year’s levels, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which monitors the big lakes, but the water levels are still well above long-term averages.

Earlier in March, town staff considered reopening the road for the summer months. But based on available water level information, staff decided to maintain the status quo.

High water levels aside, keeping the sand on Beach Drive supports the findings of the Main Street Reconstruction and Beach Area 1 and 2 Revitalization Municipal Class Environmental Assessment (EA) Study.

The study proposes improvements to Beach Drive and other area roads. The improvements are necessary to accommodate future growth in the area and to meet future transportation and infrastructure demands.

The town conducted the EA as part of its work to redevelop town-owned land at the beachfront.

Community engagement was a key part of the exercise and began with a notice about the study’s commencement in July 2019.

The notice, posted in the local newspaper and on the town website, explained the study process and invited public comment.

The town issued similar notices to various agencies, stakeholder groups, and special interest groups, so that they too could provide comment. The town received no comments from the public, while the province acknowledged the start of the study.

In addition, there were other stakeholder opportunities.

On Feb. 6, 2020, a public information centre occurred at the RecPlex. The session included a presentation about the study and relevant information, as well as an open house. The town received comments from more than 25 participants.

Another consultation occurred in the fall of 2020. Due to the pandemic, instead of an in-person meeting, the town placed a video and display boards on the municipal website for a five-week period, ending Nov. 1, 2020. The information included preferred options to the study area. The town received comments from 13 people. More than half of all respondents supported the closure of Beach Drive and related improvements to the space.

The municipality issued notice of the study’s completion and recommendations at the end of January. A 30-day public commenting period ran from Feb. 3 to March 5. The town received a number of comments with the majority in support of the changes.  

Specifically, in regards to Beach Drive, the study recommends shifting the road 7.5 metres inland and closing it to vehicle traffic. In addition, a walkway would be created, with event space, a two-lane cycle track, and boardwalk amenity space.

The study notes closing the road provides greater opportunity for public use of the space. Along with a pedestrian sidewalk, bicycle track and boardwalk, a six-metre hard surface is recommended to facilitate emergency access, deliveries, and special events, such as car shows and art exhibits.

Next steps include the detailed design of Beach Drive, based on the EA. Watch our website for updates.

Meanwhile, the town continues to prepare the Beach Drive area for the spring and summer season. Work includes general cleaning and grading of sand on the road.