By Katie Strachan
The Oshawa Express

George Lysyk is having a difficult time. He purchased a parcel of land in 1997 on Simcoe Street North in order to construct a building, which would house university and college students, ultimately aiding in the city’s student housing crisis. The problem lies in that the particular stretch of Simcoe Street Lysyk purchased is not serviced with sewer, water or storm-sewer drains.“From the north leg of Niagara Drive to Conlin Road, there are no sewer drains,” explains Lysyk, adding it’s impossible for him to build his proposed project without
them.“There’s no where to drain the water. If you can’t drain it, you can’t build,” he says.
In March 2005, the city decided to start the Simcoe Street North Corridor Land Use Study. The project was supposed to be completed in 2007, but the costs increased substantially after
Environmental Assessments were completed, states a region report. The project is estimated at more than $5 million. While Lysyk was aware the stretch of road didn’t contain these
drains when he purchased it, he never thought it would take this long to get the problem fixed. Upon obtaining the land he went around petitioning to neighbours to appeal to the region to install drains.“I was one neighbour short of the region’s r e q u i r e m e n t s , whatever that number is,” he explains. But he thought his lucked had changed in 2006, eight years after buying the land. He says a senior staff member of the region promised the drains would be installed by 2009. However, that stretch of the road is left unchanged today, and Lysyk cannot proceed with his student housing building as he planned to do.

“They weren’t able to get all their Ts crossed and their Is dotted,” he says frustrated.“A lot of the student housing problems is because of the city’s own fault.” In regards to Lysyk’s property, to date, a foundation drain collector sewer has been installed, some parts of the sanitary drains have been replaced and they have made improvements to the storm sewer further down Simcoe Street, which is located between Eastwood Avenue and Conlin Road. The rest of the work on the stretch of Simcoe Street North from Niagara Drive to East Wood Avenue North is scheduled to be finished by summer next year, states the region report. The installation of sewer drains by Lysyk’s property, at 1909 Simcoe St. N., is slated to begin in 2012.“It’s to be discussed in the budget in 2012. They said they’ll consider putting it on a priority list of potential jobs,” explains Lysyk, adding he wants the project moved up.
“There were talks that it could be 2014, 2015 or even 2016.”

B u t Commissioner of Works Cliff Curtis says it has to do with money. Roger Anderson, regional chair, suggests the company, George Lysyk and Sons Limited, could install the sewer drains on their own.“It would cost millions to put in. That is completely absurd. It’s not my responsibility to service half of Simcoe Street,” says Lysyk. Curtis says while it is an option,
it’s not an attractive one for Lysyk’s company. For Lysyk, the frustrations are growing as each year passes.“I’m sitting with an empty lot of land and I’m paying taxes on it,” he says.“It (the land) is sitting there waiting for me. The plans are drawn.” The unit he plans to build could house between 60 and 80 students. It will have 20-units of housing with a common area for all. Lysyk appealed to the region’s works committee recently to move the project up.“All I’m asking is to put in the sewers and you’ll have student housing. In light of the economic times and in light of the university…surely we can find some method and money to move this project ahead,” he says. But he also realizes that it may not be a reality.“I know they (councillors) have a lot of issues to deal with but it makes no sense,” he says. Lysyk hopes the region will postpone another project to finish the Simcoe Street North reconstruction.