New platform coming for paid parking

Roger Varley

Chief Administrative Officer Kristi Honey announced at council on Monday that changes are coming to the way parking charges are made at the township's trailheads.

The township launched a pilot project for paid permit parking at trailheads and the Fields of Uxbridge in 2021. Honey said assessment of the project - and based on feedback from users - has led the township to switch permit parking systems to make it more user-friendly. This May, the township will switch to a system called HotSpot, which was developed by parking and payment management experts. Once launched, the township’s website will have updated information on registration and FAQs and staff will be available for support.

Honey said the change comes about because most users did not like the old system. She added, however, that the parking fees have not inhibited use of the trails, saying there has been an increase in trail visits. She said 100 per cent of the money raised by the parking fees is directed back into the trail system and its amenities such as signage, snow clearing etc.

Also at Monday’s council meeting, pickleball was again on the agenda. In a deputation to council, Roger Stonell of the Uxbridge Lawn Bowling Club asked council to change the terms of its lease to allow the installation of pickleball courts.

Stonell noted the current lease refers to lawn bowling as the exclusive sport for the centre. He said the club wants to turn about a quarter of the lawn bowling area into grassy pickleball courts in an attempt to attract new members to the club, whose membership is currently about 20.

Council referred the request to staff for a report, which will also look into the issue of noise from pickleball, which has caused some concern in some municipalities.

Finally, council received seven letters from residents opposed to an application by Henry Eng to continue a soil-generating operation on his farm in the north end of the township.

Almost all the letters pointed out that the operation has not been legal since it started in 2005 and noted an injunction was passed in 2017 limiting the operation. Asked why the injunction did not shut down what was deemed an illegal operation, Honey said the judge who granted the injunction allowed the operation to continue.