MOUNT FOREST – Some residents believe the proposed John Street reconstruction will benefit their local Tim Hortons more than them.
Delegating with support from the audience during a council meeting in Wellington North Monday afternoon, resident Ralph Bublitz said he believes the proposed John Street reconstruction from Queen Street West to Waterloo Street would only add a "dedicated turn lane to access (the) Tim Hortons" located at the intersection of Main Street and Queen Street West in Mount Forest.
Advocating to close the John Street access to Tim Hortons, Bublitz said he has personally witnessed and had several close calls due to vehicles "trying to squeeze out of or stopping to enter onto John Street from all sides" of the intersection and believes any issues with the Mount Forest Tim Hortons "is for Tim Hortons to deal with, not the residents of Mount Forest."
"With that in mind, it becomes clear that John St, as it is, is not the problem. Hence, adding a dedicated turn lane on John Street – simply to access Tim Hortons, is not the solution," said Bublitz in his delegation letter. "Furthermore the residents of Mount Forest and primarily those with homes on John Street should not be forced to bear the consequences...to compensate for poor site planning on Tim Hortons' part."
This isn't the first time residents have challenged the John Street reconstruction project.
Mature trees on John Street were recently covered in posters with slogans like "please save me" and asking residents to contact the township about the loss of trees proposed in the project.
In October 2023, the township held a capital project information centre where several residents shared concerns about removing mature trees, losing lot frontage, decreasing property values and Tim Hortons-related traffic at the meeting and in a following survey.
A month later, the township paused reconstruction on John Street and Fergus Street after the Mount Forest Green Team petitioned for a "thorough investigation" on alternative construction methods and to involve arborists in the projects.
Mayor Andy Lennox said the township hasn't settled on a design for the John Street reconstruction project but clarified some of Bublitz's concerns are part of ongoing discussions about the project and the township is trying to communicate and work with Tim Hortons.
The township recently closed John Street between Queen Street West and Waterloo Street for one day last month to complete "road investigation activities" for the John Street reconstruction design. This work included identifying service location conflicts and collecting traffic movement data.
Township staff anticipates a project update will be available to the public in early fall.
Isabel Buckmaster is the Local Journalism Initiative reporter for GuelphToday. LJI is a federally-funded program.
