AH looks at property purchase to expand parking at Little Hawk
By Chad Ingram
Algonquin
Highlands township is considering the purchase of a parcel of private
land to provide more parking for water-access residents along Little
Hawk Lake Road.
Highlands township is considering the purchase of a parcel of private
land to provide more parking for water-access residents along Little
Hawk Lake Road.
Back
in February, council directed operations manager Adam Thorn to
investigate options for increasing parking capacity along Little Hawk
Lake Road and Big Hawk Lake Road, both of which become cramped with
parked vehicles and boat trailers during the summer months. Both roads
are dead ends which end at docking facilities where water-access
cottagers park to access their properties. While the township maintains
parking lots in both areas, they do not have the capacity to handle the
amount of traffic. During the Labour Day weekend last year, there were
some 350 vehicles parking along the two roadways.
in February, council directed operations manager Adam Thorn to
investigate options for increasing parking capacity along Little Hawk
Lake Road and Big Hawk Lake Road, both of which become cramped with
parked vehicles and boat trailers during the summer months. Both roads
are dead ends which end at docking facilities where water-access
cottagers park to access their properties. While the township maintains
parking lots in both areas, they do not have the capacity to handle the
amount of traffic. During the Labour Day weekend last year, there were
some 350 vehicles parking along the two roadways.
During
a July 18 council meeting, Thorn told councillors that a private
property owner is willing to sell about an acre of property to the
township, which would allow the current parking area to be enlarged to
between 1.5 and two acres, housing approximately 150 to 200 vehicles.
“They’ve offered up some property for us to take a look at, which we did,” Thorn told councillors.
a July 18 council meeting, Thorn told councillors that a private
property owner is willing to sell about an acre of property to the
township, which would allow the current parking area to be enlarged to
between 1.5 and two acres, housing approximately 150 to 200 vehicles.
“They’ve offered up some property for us to take a look at, which we did,” Thorn told councillors.
A
report from Thorn indicates that while the property contains a mix of
small and large trees as well as some rock outcroppings, it would be
suitable for the parking expansion.
Council was supportive of pursuing the property purchase.
report from Thorn indicates that while the property contains a mix of
small and large trees as well as some rock outcroppings, it would be
suitable for the parking expansion.
Council was supportive of pursuing the property purchase.
“I just see nods all around the table,” said Mayor Carol Moffatt.
Another
option would be leasing Crown land from the MNRF, an extensive process
that would take at least two years to complete, and would involve the
township paying an annual rental rate of fair market value, currently
six per cent.
option would be leasing Crown land from the MNRF, an extensive process
that would take at least two years to complete, and would involve the
township paying an annual rental rate of fair market value, currently
six per cent.
“It’s complex and complicated,” Moffatt said of the MNRF process.
Staff were directed to obtain quotations on the value of the property, and those quotes will come back to the council table.
