Here's how COVID-19 is changing Newmarket's construction season

Residential projects continue, but town halts all capital projects

Newmarkettoday.ca
April 20, 2020
Kim Champion

The season jokingly referred to as construction that normally kicks into gear in the spring has stalled for the most part in Newmarket to help slow the spread of rapidly rising COVID-19 infection rates.

An order announced April 3 by Ontario Premier Doug Ford shut down temporarily all industrial construction and banned new residential construction, while allowing residential development near completion and essential infrastructure-related projects to proceed.

But despite the latter, Town of Newmarket officials have decided to put a hold on all its capital projects after consulting with the various contractors.

“The town has been coordinating with our contractors on existing projects, such as the Arkinstall splash pad, Patterson Street and Charles Street reconstruction, and offering consideration to defer work under the COVID-19 pandemic without penalty for lost days of work in order to promote stopping further transmission, which they have taken the opportunity to defer work voluntarily,” development and infrastructure commissioner Peter Noehammer said.

Only projects or work that is critical to health and safety will be deemed appropriate for resuming or commencing at this time, said Noehammer.

For example, work will continue with regard to emergency paving on Grace Street at SouthLake Regional Health Centre, dead-tree removal to avoid damaging power lines, and water/sewer connection repairs.

The town is also strictly enforcing COVID-19 health-and-safety work procedures, Noehammer said, that includes sanitization of equipment touch points, washroom and hand sanitization, and physical distancing so that people are six feet apart.

The Regional Municipality of York last week decided, as well, to temporarily halt construction of the $110-million forcemain twinning project that will see a new, 5.1-kilometre major sewage pipe run alongside the existing pipe in Newmarket.

“Due to the evolving COVID-19 pandemic, Ward and Burke Construction have shut down operations until further notice, and all sites will be secured and monitored daily,” said Noehammer. 

All residential projects that were underway before the Ontario government order may continue in the community, including the reconstruction of the razed heritage Simpson building on Main Street and other work on the adjacent buildings.

Another example is the King George School Lofts and Town Homes at 400 Park Ave., near downtown Newmarket, which is busy with construction activity.

 

“That is a project that would be seen as permitted to continue due to completing residential units so that purchasers can move in and not become homeless because they’ve sold their existing properties,” Noehammer said.

Other projects may move forward, such as the redevelopment of the Mulock estate at Mulock and Yonge into a year-round public park, if staff can determine a way to do that virtually.

The next phase after the community engagement on the historic property wrapped up earlier this year is for the consultants, Plant Architect, to bring design options to council.

Meanwhile, town planning staff have been successful in moving forward with pre-consultation on potential new developments through virtual meetings with developers, and engineering has continued to work on refining drawings and processes for capital projects, Noehammer added.

A special council meeting is scheduled for Monday, April 27 at 2 p.m. The meeting will be streamed live online here.

The agenda will be posted online April 24 and residents who wish to make comments should submit them in writing no later than two hours before the meeting starts to clerks@newmarket.ca.

All written comments will be read aloud by Mayor John Taylor during the meeting and will form part of the public record.

The municipal office at 395 Mulock Dr. is temporarily closed to the public.