The $6-million plan: Queen St. work approved from Bruce to Pim

We may never know exactly what transpired between Ward 2 Coun. Lisa Vezeau-Allen and her Ward 3 counterpart Angela Caputo after last week's Association of Municipalities of Ontario conference in London.

We do know that whatever was said during the long drive together to the Sault persuaded Coun. Caputo to change her vote on the controversial Queen Street re-design.

With her flipped vote in favour of the $18-million project, council accepted a compromise motion brokered by Mayor Matthew Shoemaker under which the job will be completed in $6-million instalments, the first being the middle part of Queen between Pim and Bruce.

"I just want to say it's OK to change your mind," Caputo said at Monday's city council meeting.

"I previously voted against this and I would just like to say that tonight I am going to support it.

"After a long car ride with Coun. Vezeau-Allen and a lot of discussion about this topic, I am in favour of seeing improvements in the downtown," Caputo said.

The previously split council voted to rebuild Queen Street in up to three separate sections, with a pause of at least two years between sections.

The conceptual design of Queen from Pim to Gore has now been approved in principle.

We're getting a one-way, two-lane Queen Street with traffic speeds reduced to 30 kilometres an hour.

Work on the section between Pim and Bruce is authorized to start next year, but if that part of the job can't be done for $6 million, project boundaries will be reduced to fit the $6-million budget. City staff have been directed to apply to every available funding source to finance the project.

At Monday's meeting, councillors expressed a number of individual priorities.

Coun. Vezeau-Allen talked about accessibility needs including curb cuts, accessible parking spots and more consistency in sidewalk materials and layout.

"We do have an aging community. We have a lot of services that seniors and folks use downtown. I think this is really important," Vezeau-Allen said.

Ward 1's Sandra Hollingsworth called for water bottle filling stations.

"How about vegetable garden boxes throughout the downtown so people can help themselves to fresh vegetables and set up like a community garden that is all throughout Queen Street," she said.

"I think it's important that we focus on what needs to get done, said Ward 5's Corey Gardi.

"The lighting we've been told, has to get done. It's not accessible to many people in our community.

"I think we focus on the infrastructure and realize that that has to be revitalized or renewed. A lot of the components that are brought forward can be added at a later date," Gardi said.