At its meeting September 22, council authorized an agreement that’ll see the home builder pay $318,000 for the design of Louis St. Laurent Boulevard, east of Regional Road 25, including the bridge over the Sixteen Mile Creek. The work is being moved forward from its original 2010 timeframe to this fall.

The agreement is part of the Accelerated Transportation Capital Program, which forms a partnership between the Town, Mattamy Homes and in some cases, the Region, to advance construction timelines for major thoroughfares.

Council also approved fast-tracking the design of Louis St. Laurent from Tremaine Road to Regional Road 25, including a CN overpass, from 2011 to this fall.

This portion of the design work is expected to cost $478,000 and will be funded by development charges.

Transit improvements coming

Two new 40-foot buses will soon be added to Milton Transit’s fleet. Town council approved the purchase of the buses, which will be delivered next year and replace the two aging, non-accessible spare units the Town purchased from Oakville Transit.

The buses are expected to cost $972,000. Almost $820,000 is left in the 2008 budget for replacement fleet, but the Town also anticipates it’ll receive $285,000 from the Ontario Bus Replacement Program.

Council also approved a motion to use a more localized bus maintenance provider. Currently, Milton’s buses have to travel to Oakville to be fixed, since Oakville Transit is the maintenance provider. MTB Truck & Bus Collision of Milton was awarded a $136,040 annual contract to maintain and service the Milton Transit fleet.

Rural daycare on its way

Rural Miltonians looking for daycare now have another option closer to home.

The Town has made an agreement with the Milton Community Resource Centre (MCRC) for it to lease the Campbellville Lions Club Hall to provide pre-school programs and before and after school childcare.

Previously, the MCRC has provided pre-school programs at the Ebenezer Church in Nassagaweya but wanted to combine its preschool and school-aged children’s programs in one space. The MCRC will provide its services on the first floor of the hall from Monday to Friday between 7 a. m. and 6 p. m.

Snow control changes approved

The Town is beefing up its sidewalk and trail-plowing program for the coming winter.

Council approved increasing the number of sidewalks and trails maintained by the Town during the snowy months by 14 kilometres.

It also supported a beefed up communications campaign to help get the Town’s ‘Allow the Plow’ message across.

The changes will cost $34,000 and will be funded from the winter control reserves.

Town staff is also recommending other changes, including the hiring of four additional contract staff members to ensure operators for all Town-owned equipment and three contract field supervisors.

These items are being put off for consideration until the 2009 budget deliberations. The extra staff is expected to cost $141,000.

Shopping centre appeal

The Town is going to the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB) to appeal a decision recently made by Halton Hills to approve a shopping centre on Steeles Avenue, east of James Snow Parkway. The appeal is based on the Town’s concerns that the development, planned by the North American Property Group, could impact Milton’s central business district and other planned commercial areas.

Council directed Town staff and the municipality’s solicitor to continue negotiating a potential settlement regarding the development.

Gordon Food Services expanding

Gordon Food Services is relocating its parking lot to make room for future expansions at its James Snow Parkway warehousing site.

Council approved a zoning bylaw change to allow the business to create an eventual 292 parking spots at the northeast corner of James Snow Parkway and Holgate Crescent.

The spaces will replace those that’ll be lost to the future expansions.

Shopping centre approved

Council has given the go-ahead for a new shopping centre at the northwest corner of Maple Avenue and Fox Crescent, next to Galaxy Cinemas theatre. The plans from Milton Investments Inc. call for the centre to include a grocery store and retail, service commercial and restaurant uses.

Town planning for more homes

Plans for the third phase of residential development in south Milton are forging ahead.

Council awarded a $548,000 contract to consulting firm Macaulay Shiomi Howson Ltd. to prepare what’s known as the Boyne Survey Secondary Plan.

The plan will guide development in the area largely framed by Britannia and Tremaine roads and the future Louis St. Laurent and James Snow Parkway extensions.

It’ll also encompass the future Milton Education Village lands on Tremaine Road between Derry and Britannia roads.

The Boyne Survey lands cover about 2,500 acres and are estimated to house 40,000 people.