Great gate debate continues unabated

Apparently, the Great Gate Debate is going to continue unabated.

Wednesday night (Sept. 2), Kincardine council defeated a motion that would have confirmed its policy to keep the gate closed between Upper Lorne Beach Road and Victoria Street in Inverhuron when Highway 21 and Bruce County Road 23 (B-line) are closed because of a snowstorm - except in the case of an emergency.

Some people want the gate open, others want it to remain closed. At the Aug. 12 council meeting, chief administrative officer Murray Clarke cited concerns about the roadway's ability to take on more traffic, and concerns from the stakeholders (Bruce Power, emergency services, the OPP) about having the gate open except in an emergency situation.

At that meeting, by a narrow 5-4 vote, council decided to stick with its policy and keep the gate closed except in the case of an emergency.
 

The policy, adopted Jan. 16, 2008, states that the emergency access (gate) is to be used upon special request from Bruce Power to allow buses and/or emergency vehicles to transport essential staff during the closure of Highway 21 and the B-line. There is a procedure to follow to allow the access gate to be opened, and those openings are to be very short durations, supervised by the South Bruce OPP as staffing permits.

Wednesday night, the debate began all over again, as deputy mayor Jacqueline Faubert said there has been a lot of discussion about this issue, but nothing about the proposed option to leave the gate open when just Highway 21 is closed, providing a safer route home for those who don't want to travel the treacherous northern portion of the B-line.

"Allowing the gate to be open three to nine days per year when Highway 21 is closed, was not even offered to council as an option," said Faubert. "I'm committed to exploring that option."

She also requested a formal safety audit regarding the road and whether it could handle the infrequent traffic diverted there three to nine days per year.

"So, what you're saying is that if Highway 21 is closed but not County Road 23, you want the gate open?" asked councillor Maureen Couture.

"Yes," said Faubert.

"People could just travel the county road," said Couture.

"But the gate access is safer than County Road 23," argued Faubert.

"Highway 21 is the trigger," said councillor Mike Leggett. "Then County Road 23 follows. When 21 closes, the gate is opened so people have a safer route to travel."

"If 21 and 23 are closed, nobody should be travelling except in the case of an emergency," said Couture. "The policy provides for that."

"So, you want another staff report with a safety audit on this section of road?" asked councillor Andrew White.

"Yes," said Faubert. "I would feel comfortable exploring this option, finding out what's involved in fixing the roadway and the cost."

"There would be a cost," said mayor Anne Eadie. "We could leave it to staff and defer this to a later date if we decide this is a priority."

Councillor Randy Roppel cited a survey that indicated the majority of respondents, 60 per cent, want the gate open when Highway 21 is closed. "There's an appetite in the public for us to take a look at it."

"We definitely have to look at the cost," said Eadie. "We might be looking at an EA (Environmental Assessment) process, public meetings and a proper survey. We also have to be mindful of liability as well."

The motion to confirm the policy was defeated by a vote of 5-4, with Eadie, White, Couture and councillor Laura Haight voting in favour, while Faubert, Leggett, Roppel, and councillors Gordon Campbell and Linda McKee voted against.

The policy remains in place unless it is repealed, said clerk Donna MacDougall. No further action was taken by council.