LAURIE WEIR
SMITHS FALLS – A downtown property owner’s request to alter a Community Improvement Plan (CIP) funding agreement sparked debate at town council’s Aug. 11 meeting, but in the end, councillors followed staff’s recommendation and declined to make changes.
The property at 17-23 Beckwith St. S., known as the Rideau Heartland Centre, was approved in 2024 for a $10,000 CIP grant to help cover $22,800 in planned upgrades. Work included a new corrugated steel roof designed to resemble the Old Post Office on Russell Street, replacement of a three-section wood and glass window, and new outdoor tile on the entrance steps, among other improvements.
This summer, however, a steel roof was installed that did not match the agreed style. Staff determined the project was no longer eligible for funding. The property owner then asked council to accept the roof as installed, remove the window entirely, and substitute smooth concrete steps instead of tile.
Council was presented with three options: reject the requested changes and uphold the original agreement, approve all of the changes, or approve a partial revision. The CIP evaluation committee had already reviewed the file and did not support the alterations, citing reduced visual impact and departure from the program’s design standards.
Staff noted the window was intended to break up the roofline visually, while the tile finish offered a more polished appearance in keeping with CIP goals for downtown revitalization. Safety concerns about outdoor tile, raised by the owner, could be addressed through anti-slip treads and de-icing products, according to the staff report.
The original project budget totalled $22,800, with the maximum $10,000 grant approved. The revised proposal would have lowered the total to $19,800, with $9,900 in grant support.
Mayor Shawn Pankow said he agreed with staff’s recommendation. “We set standards that we expect and we’re using public funds to support these improvements. If we are willing to make a change at this stage, it lowers the bar for expectations in the future and sets a table that people in the future could change their minds mid-course and expect to be funded from the town,” he said.
Coun. Peter McKenna, who chaired the meeting, said there was consensus on council to support the recommendation that the Rideau Heartland Centre was not eligible for funding.
By declining to amend the agreement, council reaffirmed that the owner must complete the work as originally approved in order to receive the grant. Otherwise, the $10,000 will be returned to the program and made available for the fall CIP intake.
