News/Local

Friday

Hartzel Road Greening

Hello everyone,

The time is approaching for Hartzel Road in Merritton to turn green. The city is turning the road into three lanes (to the equal delight and dismay of local residents) and with this greening initiatives are being considered. Merritton councillor Jeff Burch has expressed his desire to employ the services and thoughts of the St.Catharines Green Committee in this endeavour (which I am Co-Chair along with other Merritton resident Matt Holley). Equally important is involving you, local Merritton residents and businesses, in the planning process. Local stakeholders and their thoughts and opinions are crucial when considering what greening tasks should be undertaken. We are the people who are entrenched and have a vested interest in the improvement of Hartzel Road. We are the ones who live, work, or have businesses in the area. Most importantly, we are the ones that LOVE Merritton and Hartzel Road. A road that is Merritton's main artery and the gateway to the area. We, as Merrittonians, need to express our visions for the greening of Hartzel Road. This is our chance. Ideas need to take into consideration the effective and efficient utilization of the limited space on the edges of the road. Maintenance issues should also be considered. We need to be aware that once the greening takes place that we, as the local stakeholder(s), need to help keep Hartzel Road green. The last thing we need is to do the greening and then let it fall back into disrepair. We need to band together and take an active role with helping Hartzel Road stay green. So, the ball is now rolling -what are your thoughts and opinions. Post them below.

Sincerely,

David Haywood

5 comments:

  1. I love this Green Project! I have a idea and it would be for some trees to be planted across from the Dairy Queen and maybe a nice flower bed near the bridge.

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  2. It is about time, this area is an eyesore. Merritton's councillors talk a lot about improving Hartzel Road but never follow through. Planting more trees along the road and getting rid of all the concrete would help. Hopefully, they are serious about it this time.

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  3. Merritton needs this. Hartzel is an eyesore. This is the time for a change. No sure how it can be done but if there was some sort of grant from the government from the trillium foundation or something. Or maybe businesses could green the area in front of their stores and the city would match whatever they spend for greening or the city would subsidize with a tax deduction or something. Maybe a fundraising campaign with bands and live music and a beer tent could work too. Work with Niagara College and their landscaping program and have them design a streetscape on a budget. Thanks for reading…

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  4. Hartzel Road is a main street people use to commute. I agree with improving the appearance, however not with reducing the street from two lanes each way down to one lane each way. There are already enough problems with congestion, especially during peek hours of the day. The transit system is another area that will suffer. They are already lacking compared to other major cities, and this would only make matters worse. Atleast with two lanes buses and vehicles alike can change lanes and pass slow or stopped traffic. With one lane buses and people in general are more likely to fall behind schedule.

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  5. We are owners on Merritt and would gladly contribute to this both in time and effort.

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