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This spring those temporary ramps were ripped up with the asphalt sent to landfills and replaced with a temporary stone driveway.”

Hazell said he is very worried about the final budget of this project since many of the driveways and front yards had to be ripped up well beyond where they were originally ripped up in order to properly slope them to the road. “To this day many of the driveways are still not completed,” he said in a June 27th email to the Paris Independent. By July 4th , subcontractors had gone out to finish up most driveways before the final asphalt.

Hazell also expressed his concerns with the new sidewalk, on a no-thru road, a plan that received heavy opposition from some homeowners right from the initial proposal last year.

In a return email to the Paris Independent, Joe Murphy, Capital Project Manager for the County of Brant, and Rob Walton, General Manager of Operations confirmed the project’s approved budget was $3.955 million and despite delays, the project remains within that approved budget. They also confirmed BEECH’S 2.8 million dollar bid on the contract. The sidewalks, they say, stem from a council recommendation to add sidewalks on urban streets when reconstruction or resurfacing is completed on urban road projects. It’s part of the county’s commitment to safe active transportation. Council allocated additional funds in the annual budget to improve sidewalk infrastructure

“For every urban road project, we thoroughly review existing sidewalk connectivity and identify areas where new sidewalks should be installed, in an effort to support safe active transportation This comprehensive process was followed for this project, and while several residents raised concerns during the preconstruction meetings, the above rationale for the sidewalks has been consistently communicated throughout,” the email stated. The pretender estimation for the sidewalk was between $75,000 to $87,000

As of July 11th, some driveways on Race Street (pictured above) and Hillside Avenue are not finished. The interlock driveways are the last to be replaced.

Murphy and Walton also stated a substantial portion of the overall project was completed by the deadline of December 2023 and that work was suspended through the winter months and started up again in April 2024. Yearto-date progress includes curb repair, a new concrete sidewalk, road pavement and driveways as well as some landscaping.

As for the nearly doubled project timeline, Walton and Murphy said the most significant factor contributing to delays was the discovery of groundwater on Race Street, which impacted the sanitary sewer installation Other factors, they say, included a conflict between sanitary and storm sewers during installation, a sewer repair on Race Street this past spring, several incidents of vandalism to concrete curbs and sidewalks and the weather. When delays did occur, Murphy and Walton said several notices with contact information for the County staff were posted on the County website, on social media and emailed to subscribers. Traffic conditions were updated regularly, and they say many residents received onsite, one-on-one communication

They acknowledged that county staff fielded concerns from area residents by phone and email throughout the project, but insisted these concerns were promptly forwarded to onsite staff and or the contractor who took appropriate action It was also noted there were some circumstances beyond the control of both the County staff and the contractor, such as issues involving third-party service providers.

Murphy and Walton added that county staff were onsite daily, ensuring close monitoring of the project alongside the contractor Staff responsibilities included inspecting contractor work to guarantee compliance with contract specifications, liaising with the public and collaborating with residents and the contractor to minimize disruptions where possible. Many residents voiced opposing stories on social media, stating there was a lack of response from the county when they logged complaints with the quality of work, professionalism from the contractor and length of this project.

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