Yourway
January 29, 2015
Vol. 15, No. 4
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Sharbot Lake Retirement and Retreat set to open in the spring by Jeff Green
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ndrew Kovacs had an idea, and the former Sharbot Lake Seniors’ Home is where he is turning that idea into a reality. Kovacs is a Certified Professional Accountant who worked for years in supply chain finance. However he has wanted to make a change and has been looking for a suitable property to turn into a residence where seniors can be active but not have to worry about property upkeep, cooking or cleaning, among other responsibilities. “I spent over a year looking for the right opportunity and looked at a number of properties, at least eight, but nothing was suitable. Then one day my broker called me and said his daughter had seen the seniors home here when she was driving to Toronto from Ottawa, where she works for Health Canada, and she told her father to check it out,” he said last week from his makeshift construction office/living room in what is fast becoming Sharbot Lake Retirement and Retreat. That was in late September, and when he came up and saw the building and the location he was instantly sold on it. “The lake sold it for me; it’s gorgeous,” he said. As we talked last week, the lake was frozen in its winter stillness, but the building was full of activity. All of the rooms have been completely gutted, down to the studs. The furni-
ture, which had been accumulated over the years by the former owner of the property, Dr. Bell, has been or is being refurbished and is stacked in one room under cover. It is in this bare-bones state that Kovacs can see how he wants to set up the building for the 20 or so residents that he will be able to accommodate as permanent residents. “The rooms are all 250 square feet in size, and we are putting walk-in tubs and showers in each of them. We plan to create what I call a ‘boutique hotel experience’ here. All the meals will be included of course, plus tray service to the room upon request, and other services such as a hair salon. In a lot of residences that are out there, the initial rent is only a part of the cost; everything comes with a charge. Here, everything will be included.” One of the changes that came about from looking at the building once it was gutted is that the former dining room, which has large windows and the best view of the lake in the entire building, will be used as an activity lounge instead. “While it was a beautiful room for eating in, it was not used for the rest of the day,” said Kovacs, “so we can move the dining area over and make this room a focal point for the residents.” One of the basic improvements being made to the building is the installation of an
Andrew Kovacs, new owner of Sharbot Lake Retirement and Retreat elevator to help with mobility in the three-level structure. Further down the road, the strip of land between the building and the lake is to be landscaped and made fully accessible to the residents in the home. “What we are going to be offering is a beautiful location, handy to all the services in the village, at a competitive price,” said Kovacs, who said he sees the region between Ottawa and Kingston as the market for the residence. “When we are all done renovating this will be a beautiful place to live. The building has really good bones. It is solid and has an approved sprinkler system. What we will be doing is making all the residents’ rooms and all the common rooms look and feel attrac-
tive and comfortable. When people come here with their parents they will be wanting to move in themselves; that’s what we are after,” he said. A local crew is now working on the construction project as are local tradespeople, and when the residence is opened there will be employment for cooks and cleaners, personal support workers and other staff. “Our success will bring jobs and a higher profile to the local community,” said Kovacs, who hopes to make the Sharbot Lake residence the model for others in the coming years. Once the renovations are complete, Kovacs said he intends to bring the local public in to view the space.
$2 plus million fire hall coming soon to Perth Road Village South Frontenac Committee of the Whole by Jeff Green onald Awde, an architect from Bethany, Ontario, presented a report on prospects for a new fire hall in Perth Road. The first part of the report established first that the existing fire hall is inadequate. “There can certainly be no question that the existing building is so totally inadequate for the purpose and is of such minimal quality of construction that it would be impossible to renovate or adapt in order to extend the life,” said the report. Even the site where the existing hall is located was declared unsuitable, partly because of its location within the built up area in Perth Road and partly because it is too small. There are issues with the soil and the topography as well. A brand new building on a brand new site was recommended, and the size of the proposed new four-bay building is 7,900 square feet, over twice the size of the existing building. The cost, depending on the final design, ranges from $2.2 million for a basic building to $2.5 million for an enhanced version. In response to the presentation, Loughborough Councilor Mark Schjerning wondered if four bays are enough for the longterm needs of the department.
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Fire Chief Rick Cheseborough said, “I feel that the size of the building will be adequate to the needs of the department for at least 20 years.... Compared to the old fire hall it will be like the Taj Mahal - but don't quote me on that.” “I think we need to include as much as we can, all the enhancements should be in place from the start,” said Schjerning in response. Other members of Council asked questions about the options for layout of the building and other technical details. The cost was not questioned, however, perhaps because Council had been informed about it when they considered the 2015 capital budget two weeks ago. The budget included a $2.2 million line for this project.
Shoreline rehabilitation will mean loss of a sand beach at The Point. Riggs Engineering presented a report and plan for a $100,000 shoreline restoration project at the Point Park. The plan includes replacing the existing wooden crib that forms a retaining wall on the water with a combination of stone seating and rock revetment, some grading and other landscape modifications, and the replacement of the existing sand beach with a pebble beach. “The replacement of sand beach materials with pebble beach materials is not typically a desirable change, but is a reality of regulatory approval conditions,” said Brian Riggs in his
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report, adding that because sand is not native to the location and will need to be replaced at least once every two years because it will be washed into the lake, the conservation authority will insist on it being removed before granting approval for the project. The project is likely to go ahead in the fall of 2015, after all the necessary approvals are obtained. Chief Administrative Officer Wayne Orr said money for the project is available through the parkland reserve fund.
Partially maintained roads need more study
Public Works Manager Mark Segsworth presented a list of small gravel roads in the township that receive some maintenance from township road crews, but are not necessarily plowed in the winter. A consultant was hired to catalogue the roads, with a view towards determining what criteria should be used to decide which roads should be included for snow plow service and which shouldn’t. “It will take us another year to sort this out,” said Segsworth. “To be honest there is no rational explanation for why we do what we do now. Some roads have minimal maintenance, a grader once every two years. And there are other roads where we have full maintenance for no apparent reason. Maybe they are being done because of a handshake deal years ago, I don’t know. We need
to take a look at the whole thing and come up with a plan and a cost to make it consistent throughout the township.”
The Ladybush Lane conundrum
Planner Lindsay Mills brought the issue of Ladybush Lane, which is off Bedford Road, to Council’s attention. “The street sign for that lane keeps getting stolen,” said Mills. “It has happened five times. One option is to change the name of the lane; another is to eliminate the name entirely since there are only three properties and they could be named a, b, and c; and the third option is to leave it and replace the sign when we have to.” “What do the signs cost?” asked Councilor Pat Barr. “$150,” said Mark Segsworth. “What about riveting the signs instead of just bolting them in place so it only takes a wrench to remove them?” asked Mark Schjerning. “Does anybody have a new name in mind?” asked Deputy Mayor John McDougall, who was chairing the meeting in the absence of Mayor Vandewal. No proposed names were forthcoming from Council and the matter was left for the time being.
Chain of office coming
Wane Orr reported that is will cost $5,000
continued on page 2
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