WHATS THE HOLD UP?

While many municipalities around the county have received federal and provincial sustainability funding for infrastructure projects, one town has been left in the lurch.
Stellarton has applied for funding for construction of a roundabout and completion of a business park.
Funding is available at the municipal and provincial levels, but the federal government is still holding off until an environmental assessment of the area is completed, said Lori Errington, communications adviser for Service Nova Scotia and municipal relations.
The area is considered a wetland and an assessment needs to be completed before any work is to go ahead.
Errington said she has contacted those in charge at the federal level and what is known is that the assessment is a mid-level project.
"It's not a really in-depth environmental assessment but it's not a really quick one."
She said as soon as the assessment is done, the project will be able go ahead. How long that will take is unknown.
"It's totally in their hands."
She said Service Nova Scotia has contacted the federal government and asked them to speed things up a bit.
"A project like this is important to the community. We're hoping it's soon."
Stellarton Mayor Joe Gennoe is not very pleased about the holdup.
"We're panicking a bit."
The roundabout would create better access to the business park and tenants have already applied for land to build on. But without funding for the roundabout and business park, nothing can go ahead.
Gennoe said he was hoping to have the joint project completed by the end of the summer so tenants could start moving in, but if it gets too late it might have to be put on hold until next year.
He said if the project were to be started before funding is agreed upon at the federal level, the rest of the funding would be terminated.
While Stellarton is waiting for funding for its projects, several others are ready to begin elsewhere.
In New Glasgow, a major storm sewer project for MacLean Street is set to begin. Town engineer Bob Funke said all the pre-design work is complete and the project is basically "shovel ready" and should begin by early 2010.
Another storm sewer project on Elm Street is already underway. Funding was applied for earlier this year and was received.
New Glasgow has also applied for federal and provincial funding for a renewal project for East River Road. The application was sent at the same time as the one for the project on MacLean Street but has yet to receive funding.
The project would include storm sewer and water-line replacement and widening of the road.
In Pictou, a few items are currently going to tender. Town engineer Jim Chisholm said the town has applied for and received funding for a storm water diversion project. The storm water and sewer currently run out of the same pipe. The project would separate the two.
Chisholm said a wastewater treatment plant would also be built as part of the project. The plant would service all of Pictou and the area out towards Scotsburn.
The storm water diversion project is expected to start next February and will cost $200,000 to $300,000. The water treatment plant is estimated to cost approximately $9 million. Both will receive federal and provincial funding, said Chisholm.
Several other smaller water projects in Pictou will also be receiving funding as well.
In Trenton, a Building Canada fund of $46,000 has been approved for a storm sewer separation study, said interim CAO Cathy MacGillivray.
The town has also applied to Nova Scotia Health Promotion and Protection for funding for a rink-related project that would involve eco-chill. The project would cost $173,000.
Verbal approval has been received from ACOA for $165,000 to put into the downtown revitalization project. This would include economic development, bike lanes and making the area safer for pedestrians.
MacGillivray said as soon as the funding is in place, the projects will begin.
The Town of Westville has received approval and funding for phase one of a sewer rehabilitation project, said CAO Scott Fraser. The project will cost $607,244.
Fraser said the town has also applied for an eco-trust grant to reduce energy emissions from municipal buildings.