Written By Jan Sims
DELAWARE - Residents of Middlesex Centre got a closer look into the future of development in the area at an Open House in Delaware.
The event was held on September 5th at the Delaware Community Centre, with municipal staff and councillors on hand to listen to concerns and answer questions about recent key documents that have gone before council; the Transportation Master Plan and the Servicing Master Plan. The plans are designed to guide policies and infrastructure needs as the municipality grows over the next 20 years.
With change come challenges, in the case of Delaware that involves responding to concerns about maintaining the “village feel” of the community, according to Ward 5 Councillor Frank Berze who represents the area. “It’s our job, with the growth that’s going on everywhere in Ontario, to try to manage things to keep that ‘village feel’ if we can,” says Berze.
One challenge is getting support for extending sewers in the Delaware area as development increases. Resistance can be predicated on worries about cost, and people who are content with septic systems and don’t want to see their property ripped up to install municipal sewers. “Our plan here proposes, where we’re going to plan development, that’s where the sewers are going to go,” says Berze.
The Servicing Master Plan includes a $48 million allocation for a sewer expansion project in Delaware. However, what’s ultimately built will first need council’s approval.
The Transportation Master Plan lists an interchange at Carriage Rd. and Highway 402 among the medium and long-term projects. Improved access to the 402 is seen as an important component of spurring industrial growth in the Delaware area. And it’s something that Berze says was brought up by the Middlesex Centre delegation with representatives from the provincial transport ministry at the recent meeting of the Association of Municipalities of Ontario.
