North Grenville Council has authorized the execution of the site plan for the expansion of Bayfield Manor to include 94 new long-term care beds. This is the result of an announcement made in March of last year that the Ministry of Health and Long-term Care was investing in the additional beds in North Grenville to help seniors receive the care they need close to home. “We are pleased to be able to not only maintain long-term care in Kemptville, but through the support of MPP Steve Clark and the Ministry of Health and Long-term Care, expand our capacity by an additional 94 beds,” said Southbridge Care Homes’ Managing Director Keith McIntosh at the time. “These 160 total beds will continue our commitment to providing consistent quality health care for Kemptville seniors both now and into the future.”
The new facility will be a three-storey building located right next to Bay- field Manor. The site plan includes two entrances, one for residents and visitors off George Street, and another for staff and deliveries off Queen Street. It also stipulates that Southbridge will be responsible for funding the construction of a sidewalk along George Street, from Dumbrille Street to Pine Hill Road, and that it is also responsible for upgrading part of Queen Street, which is currently unpaved, to accommodate the increase in traffic due to the new facility.
“At this point, staff and the developer have addressed all the engineering requirements and are ready to move forward with finalizing the site plan
agreement,” said Acting Director of Planning and Development Amy Martin at the planning meeting on September 9.
The plan is to move all of Bayfield’s long-term care beds into the new fa- cility and renovate Bayfield to accommodate retirement living residents. Director Martin said at the meeting that it is her understanding that Southbridge is currently tendering for the project and that construction could start in the spring. Although Southbridge is responsible for covering the cost of the sidewalk along its property, the Municipality will be carrying out the work which is estimated to get underway in the next three to five years.
Mayor Peckford expressed some concern about the construction of the sidewalk not lining up with the completion of the new facility. “I would hope that in our municipality we would have a commitment to align the construction of the sidewalk with the erection of the building,” she said.
Mayor Peckford also commented that she hopes that there is some foresight into lighting the area to make it safe for the increased traffic due to the new facility. She said that in the past she had noticed ihat North Grenville has sometimes been left with the consequences of a major development, having to adjust retroactively to make the surrounding area safe for increased traffic. “I think to that end, from a road safety perspective, I would like due consideration of ample lighting to the degree that we are being respectful of residents and others just because I think there will be significantly more activity than there already is,” she said.
