2021-03-17

Bridgewater buys $24,000 worth of High Street land to support infrastructure project

by KEITH CORCORAN

  • <p>SOURCE: GOOGLE MAPS</p><p>Bridgewater acquired parcels of privately-owned High Street land, between the intersections of Victoria Road and Empire Street for a total price of about $24,000.</p>

The acquisition of nearly $24,000 worth of private land bordering High Street clears the way for Bridgewater to widen the west side strip, and overhaul the infrastructure there to the tune of $1 million-plus, starting in fiscal year 2022-23.

The public utility responsible for the town's drinking water supply is upgrading its main piping between the Victoria Road and Empire Street intersection, Patrick Hirtle, a spokesman for the Town of Bridgewater, explained to LighthouseNOW.

"The project will include rebuilding of the road and road bed; concrete curb and gutter; storm and sanitary wastewater improvements, with separation of storm and sanitary water; and sidewalk upgrades," Hirtle said in an email. "The project will also include upgrade to traffic lights and active transportation improvements."

Civic politicians authorized four separate purchases March 8, with the largest being a couple of parcels from John Michael Ross valued at $10,462.

Meanwhile, Charles F. Cushing receives $6,170 from the town for a parcel belonging to him, while the South Shore Nursery gets $3,778, and David Stuart Ross $3,429.

Bridgewater budgeted $35,000 for the land acquisitions, including legal fees and surveying costs.

"The High Street widening project is designed to improve vehicle and pedestrian traffic flow along the collector corridor from Victoria Road to the High Street and Dominion Street and Dufferin Street commercial and service centre," development officer Nick Brown said in a written report to council.

The town's road-related expense for this work is in the $900,000 range. A break-down of the water utility's portion of the job wasn't available.

"Staff have used similar right-of-way acquisitions in commercial and residential zoning from the past 10 years to value the subject parcels at $9 per square foot," Brown said in his report to council.

High Street is a busy route for motor vehicle traffic but, at present, it doesn't flow the best, Mayor David Mitchell explained to his council colleagues before they endorsed the property deals.

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