Work on a controversial new trail along the south side of Riverside Drive will go ahead after Tecumseh Town Councillors decided to proceed with the project.
The trail, which has drawn opposition from some residents, will extend from the end of the Ganatchio Trail, on the border between Windsor and Tecumseh, to Lakeside Park on Manning Road.
Much of the opposition comes from residents, some of whom have landscaping or irrigation systems along the road where the new trail will go in. The asphalt surface will be up to three metres wide and sparked the "Rethink the Trail" lawn sign campaign.
Others who oppose the plan point out Riverside Drive will eventually need reconstruction.
As a result, councillors opted to extend the public consultation period at its meeting on April 8. Since then, the town received 168 comments, which were given to the consultants working on the project. However, the consultants recommended going ahead with construction.
The town is not finished with consultations just yet. Councillors still need a detailed design, and once they have that, discussions with the utility companies and individual property owners will continue.
Councillor Andrew Dowie does not expect the detailed design to come back to councillors this year. He said the council has instructed town staff to minimize the impact on those homeowners as much as possible.
"The devil is in the details, and resolving those details could take a long, long time," he said.
The project, first proposed four years ago, is expected to cost $1.2-million.
- With files from Mark Brown and Ruby Sweeney
