A weed-covered stretch of township property on Samuel and Ann streets in Elmira may finally be restored, some four years after the completion of the project that saw the area ripped up.
Despite a staff recommendation that nothing be done, councillors this week upheld an earlier decision to replace dead grass on township boulevard and parts of homeowners’ lawns. Though money was allocated to the project last winter following a series of complaints, nothing had been done.
The spots in question were re-sodded following reconstruction of the roads in 2010. Since then, large areas of the grass have died, to be overrun by weeds. Staff maintained that the grass was fine through the 60-day warranty period and during inspections the following year.
“The sod was in good shape,” said director of engineering and planning Dan Kennaley, noting the township expects adjacent property owners to maintain the sod after the first two months.
Given the lapse of time between the sod’s installation and the complaints that grew in 2013, the township should not be expected to restore the grass, he said, indicating concerns with setting a precedent.
A report to council indicates there may have been other issues at play, however.
“It should be noted that sod suppliers have indicated that the sod installed in 2010 and 2011 did not perform very well due to dry summers as well as warm winters that did not kill soil-dwelling insect larvae that damage grass,” it reads.
Information from Kitchener showed the city later replaced sod from the 2010 and 2011 construction seasons as some 80 to 90 per cent of it had died.
Councillors opted against the do-nothing approach, agreeing to spend some $10,000 to remove the existing poor sod, add more topsoil and seed the affected boulevards and lawns, amounting to about 50 per cent of the original road project area that covered parts of Riverside Drive West and Ann, Herbert, Samuel and William streets.
“Sod will take a couple of years to make a good catch,” said Coun. Mark Bauman, calling the 60-day period too short.
He noted that residents should agree they’ll look after the grass on an ongoing basis.
Responding to a question from Coun. Allan Poffenroth, Kennaley said homeowners are now provided with information about looking after new sod and trees planted on boulevards, though that wasn’t the case in 2010.
Following council’s decision, Kennaley said the goal is to have new grass seed in no later than mid-September.
That was welcome news for Art Bolduc, whose mother-in-law lives on Samuel Street. He’s been the most vocal of the neighbours unhappy with the situation, calling on the township to restore the grass to the way it was before the construction work.
“I will wait until the job has been completed by the township before I put on my party hat and do a happy dance,” he said in an email Wednesday.
