Parties asking for change in parking on First Street

Both Family and Children’s Services and 1578289 Ontario Ltd.—the developers of the old Fort Frances High School property—are requesting the town change its parking rules on the 200 block of First Street East.
In a letter to council, Steve Both of 1578289 Ontario Ltd. asked that the parking be changed from calendar parking to two-hour parking, adding he believes this was the arrangement when the building still was used as a high school.
“As we continue to develop the site and bring in new clients, we are having complaints of no customer parking on the street,” wrote Both. “It appears many employees from downtown businesses are parking for the entire day on First Street.
“If it was changed to two-hour parking, we feel it would alleviate this problem, and help bring new businesses and customers to this downtown location,” he added.
Both also noted the municipal parking lot on Portage Avenue has very few vehicles parked in it, and could be shared with employees from the downtown area.
Vik Nowak, executive director of Family and Children’s Services, echoed Both in a second letter.
“Despite having arranged access to 40 parking spaces in our lease, our experience over the last six months has revealed that increasing visitor traffic to our building has resulted in significant parking problems,” he wrote.
“As more tenants are added to the building and surrounding complex, we believe this problem will only get worst,” Nowak warned.
Like Both, Nowak said it seems most of the parking on the block is taken up by employees of Scott Street businesses, and he supports Both in his suggestion that the municipal parking lot be shared.
Nowak also wrote FACS was “dismayed with the town’s decision last year to reject a request for handicapped parking spots in front of our building,” and asked the town reconsider that decision.
“As you are aware, we are an integrated service that provides a variety of programs, including a number of services to children and adults with physical and developmental disabilities,” he noted.
“To this end, considerable effort and expense has been invested into making our new office accessible to all children and adults in the area.”
Other business at tonight’s council meeting will include:
•a report on a new collection procedure for delinquent water and sewer accounts for trailer parks and Couchiching First Nation;
•a quarterly report from OPP detachment commander S/Sgt. Hugh Dennis on police services here;
•a request from the Fort Frances Ministerial Association regarding tsunami relief efforts;
•a request from the Heart and Stroke Foundation to proclaim February as “Heart Month” in the Town of Fort Frances;
•a letter of complaint from Bob Dobransky regarding outstanding water billing on a rental unit;
•a request from the Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association for financial support of the Northwestern Ontario Medical Education Award Fund;
•a request from the Municipality of Minto for support of its resolution regarding reviving Bill C15A to outlaw offensive Internet material;
•a bylaw to authorize entering into an agreement with Shaw Cable regarding granting an easement over certain municipal land south of Keating Avenue and Fifth Street West; and
•a bylaw to approve an agreement North Air Services for “Dial-A-Ride” services.
Tonight’s meeting gets underway at 6:30 p.m. at the Civic Centre. The committee of the whole will meet first starting at 5:30.