Concrete barriers placed along Bruce Street South in Thornbury two days ago turning parking spaces into pedestrian walkways may not be there much longer.
“The majority of the business owners would like to see the removal of the barriers in some areas,” said Town of the Blue Mountains (TBM) councillor Rob Sampson. “However, this would require them to remove tables, chairs and planters and anything that would be blocking the sidewalk with physical barriers.”
Earlier today, TBM held a special meeting of council to discuss the placement of the barriers (called jersey barriers), after Sampson and TBM staff spent Thursday meeting with local business owners over the matter.
“It is not going to be easy to get this right. It is a change and people always react to change,” said TBM deputy mayor Rob Potter, adding the motive behind placing the barriers was to follow advice from the medical officer of health to create proper social distancing measures for the public.
“There are just things that we are going to have to live with, just like lining up at the stores,” Potter said.
At the meeting, TBM council looked at a new proposed plan that will see barriers placed in certain areas along the mainstreet, and removed in others. The plans also outlines areas for five-minute pick-up and parking.
“We have tried to locate the revised jersey barriers in front of the businesses that have expressed a desire to have them,” said TBM mayor Alar Soever.
“Some people don’t want barriers. Now, if there is no barrier, then there cannot be anything along the sidewalk. There cannot be tables in front to businesses on the sidewalk because the health department requires a full six-foot clearance from the table to where people are walking by,” he explained.
Currently, Bruce Street South has a two-hour parking limit, however, TBM will be applying to Grey County, who controls the road, for an adjustment to a 30-minute parking limit.
Council is hopeful that the reduced parking time limit will encourage visitors who want to stay longer to park in other town parking lots.
TBM also plans to initiate one-way pedestrian traffic on the sidewalks - south on the west side of the street and north on the east side.
“The sidewalks will be painted with the directional signage to show the proper flow of traffic,” said Sampson. “We are trying to be business-friendly, while at the same time trying to comply with physical distancing and proper crowd management.”
TBM will now be sharing this proposed plan with the local businesses before putting it into effect.
“Send this plan out to all of the businesses that are on the main street with a clear understanding that if there is no jersey barrier in front of their business to allow for social distancing, they are not allowed to put anything out on their sidewalk,” Soever said.
Soever also stated once the plan is in motion, he will be issuing an emergency order to that effect to reinforce the rule, which he says will also “come with serious consequences.”
