If there ever was an Oprah “Ah ha!” moment, Chatham-Kent council had one last week over north-south traffic flow and the two downtown bridges.
Members were initially shocked by the very bold option of closing both bridges and building a new one presented by the municipal director of engineering last week. But councillors opened their minds to the idea of pedestrian walkways, a new link between north and south Chatham and what their vision could be for the downtown area of Chatham.
They opted for the status quo, but for a moment, they considered the possibilities.
It was interesting to watch their faces and hear the comments, which ended with Mayor Randy Hope and several councilors thanking staff for making them look at the bigger picture and a potential vision for downtown Chatham.
While no one thought expropriating land was a viable option, the idea of a new crossing made council look at what they definitely don’t want, which can lead to defining what it is they do want to see. The idea of incorporating a linked pedestrian walkway, from the north side of the Thames River to both bridges, to King Street and adjacent roads is one to consider for the future, and while they are rehabbing both bridges in the next two years.
Thinking ahead to what council would like to see leads to planning, which leads to efficiency, which leads to cost savings instead of trying to piecemeal everything and forcing it to fit the mold after the fact.
With an infrastructure asset management plan expected in January from staff to council, it will be an interesting and useful exercise to see what needs to be done and when, and then plan an overall vision around projects and timelines.
With input from the Downtown Chatham BIA, Chatham-Kent Chamber of Commerce and other interested parties, an overall picture of what the community wants the downtown to look like can become a reality.
With the idea that nothing should be off the table, sometimes knowing what we don’t want is the best way to figure out what we do want.
