FALL RIVER: The Fall River community will get it’s first look and chance to ask questions of the Fall River water project later this month.
Councillor Steve Streatch said a public meeting of Feb. 13 has been scheduled. It will take place at Georges P. Vanier Junior High School beginning at 6:30 p.m.
The HRM representative said he spoke with HRM staff and they are tentatively set to unveil the engineering component and the proposed costs, along with the funding options in front of them, at the meeting.
“Currently, the study is virtually complete,” said Streatch. “My understanding is that a recommendation will come forward on whether to only pursue the water down Fall River Road stopping at Sobeys, or whether to continue down as far as Petro-Canada.”
Streatch isn’t leaving anything to the last minute, getting ready for both possible options available.
“I have in an interim measure asked our planning staff and Water Commission staff to, in a very proactive way, to increase the water service boundary in the anticipation that we will do both phases at the same time,” he said. “Currently, the discussion about funding is slightly ambiguous. There are opinions on both sides as to whether there is enough money to do both phases at the same time or indeed if both phases were asked for by the previous council.
He said he supports doing both phases right now, at the same time.
“If there is a funding stream there and if we can leverage greater support from the business community to do all the project right now, then I think that makes good sense,” said Streatch. “It’s a better option than coming back a year or two down the road and further inconveniencing the community and incurring greater costs because you have to bring all the equipment back in.”
Streatch said he believes regardless of the original ask, they have to do whatever they can in their power to do the full job as soon as possible.
The water project would bring it down Fall River Road and include connections to the Gordon R. Snow Community Centre along with Ash Lee Jefferson School; Lockview High; and Georges P. Vainer Junior High, to name a few.
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