A bump in the road for a multi-million dollar development in Harrow.
Sellick Equipment Limited has built a new facility, but as it stands now, cannot transport machinery to and from the plant. To access the site, Sellick needs use of the Clark St. extension, that's currently owned by a developer and doesn't become town property until August 15.
Essex Councillor Sherry Bondy fears if the road isn't freed up it could jeopardize the entire operation.
She says there's a number of factors at play.
"The safety for workers there, having access to a road, and I'm also thinking them and making money and price points," says Bondy. "So now it's going to hit them at the market and I don't want that to happen. We have a $22-million to $25-million investment in our town. We should be bending over backwards and doing everything possible."
Bondy says the town bought the road to encourage development.
"We paid $350,000," says Bondy. "In my opinion, we should have had a clause in there that said the contractors and Sellicks could use the road. We missed that. So it comes back to our fault in writing up the contract. So it's our fault. We eat a little bit of crow, we assume a little bit of risk and we bend over backwards and help a business."
Bondy plans to introduce a motion at Essex council's June 5 meeting. She'll be looking for support to pass a bylaw to open the road.
Sellick Equipment, Canada's largest forklift manufacturer, has been operating in Harrow for the past 47 years.