Chelsea Council aims to improve resident participation

Reuel S. Amdur

Mayor Pierre Guénard announced at the October 1 meeting of Chelsea Council that there will be new opportunities for community input.  Coffee sessions with the mayor are scheduled at his office in the municipal building from 8:30 to 10:30 on October 23, November 20, and December 12.  In addition, Chelsea will have a fireside chat about mobility issues on October 28 at La Fab.  The meeting also saw a power-point presentation on Chelsea’s strategic plan.  More about that in another report.

Guénard announced that Chelsea is moving from a three-year investment plan to a five-year  plan.  The hope is that the new approach will mean success in attracting more grant money.

Traffic control has been one of residents’ common concern, often related to speeding.  Council has been addressing these on a case-by-case basis but now intends to address the matter more systematically.  In the meantime, it decided to request the Ministry of Transport to reduce speed on the 105 from the Alonzo Bridge to Old Chelsea Road to 50 kilometers an hour.

Several people spoke during question period to express concerns about the designation of the bottom of Burnett Road as an access point to the Gatineau River. Alex Mac Rae was the first to address the matter.  One concern was the possibility that motorized boats would be set afloat at the site.  The mayor and Councillor Kimberly Chan made it clear that the location would be for swimmers and non-motorized boats only.  Mac Rae also spoke of the need to stop cars at the bottom of the road and about erosion because the bottom sector of the road runs straight into the river.  The response was that there will be more naturalization of the area around the access point and bollards will be placed before the point. 

When the Post asked Mac Rae if he was satisfied with Council’s plans, he said he was 90% happy.  He still worried that the access point designation would attract too many people, many from beyond Chelsea.  However, Chelsea plans to establish other access points along the river, so that not all the traffic will come to the Burnett location.  Parking problems, however, remain unresolved.