Timmy's drive-thru still an issue for surrounding businesses

On any given morning, day or afternoon of the week the effects of Tim Hortons drive-thru on Cassells Street are more than visible. The existing situation, which allows cars to stack up on Cassells Street, is unacceptable to City Engineers, the North Bay Police and surrounding businesses.

In order to alleviate stacking, council has approved the motion to move the Tim Hortons drive-thru to an abutting laneway that intersects City View apartments, on Sixth Avenue.

The new site plan will include paving, signage and lighting so that customers will have a smooth time transitioning to the new entrance.

Doctor Trevor Bachelder of Cassells Street Animal Hospital said the new site plan does little to help surrounding businesses.

“My partner, Paul Campbell, and I relocated the animal hospital to Cassells in 1991. The Tim Hortons at this time had no drive through, but it was demolished and rebuilt with a drive-thru,” Dr. Bachelder said.

“It is disappointing that no studies were conducted at the time to determine the impact on neighbouring businesses.”

Bachelder said the new laneway proposal will not solve the problem on Sixth Avenue and will create more problems for City View Apartments.

“Part of the new drive-thru will block traffic flow to and from the apartment, and will still cause spill over into the sixth street intersection,” he said.

Due to the sheer volume of business and popularity of the coffee shop, Bachelder thinks Tim Hortons has outgrown the capacity of its current location.

He feels the only real solution would be for Tim Hortons to close on Cassells and find a new location to operate.

City staff and TDL Group LTD have cooperatively looked at other possible relocations or expansion at the existing location however; they say no new sites have proven to be feasible.

Bachelder said City staff should look at the old bus terminal grounds or even integrating into the new terminal.

Since April, 2006 residents have expressed several objections to the use of the laneway:

•Lack of public use if cars are stacked in laneway
•Noise and fumes impacting abutting property owners
•Increased traffic on Sixth Avenue
•Stacking will affect access to Veterinary Clinic parking
•Inadequate entrance to laneway from Sixth Avenue will
cause accidents
•TDL should be required to purchase abutting properties to
fix stacking problem