Some Long Branch businesses are calling for a major water main replacement project slated to begin in April to be deferred since it will restrict traffic and customer parking for struggling small firms just reopening from lockdown.

Construction of the water main replacement begins in late April and will run until the end of October affecting residents and businesses from Twenty Fourth to west of Thirty Second Streets, according to information from city contractor R.V. Anderson Associates.

Anderson Associates held a virtual meeting with some members of the Long Branch area in January.

The company said it anticipated impacts with roadway traffic, driveway access, curbside parking, pedestrian traffic, transit, water service and dust and noise.

Its officials said in a power-point presentation that lanes affected by construction will be closed to help ensure safety, and two-way traffic will ‘generally be maintained” and dedicated Traffic Control persons or paid Duty police will be required on site.

“Curbside parking on the north side of the street will be temporarily obstructed by the contractor’s equipment staging within their active work area,” according to Anderson Associates.  “Lake Shore streetcars will be out of service for the duration of the project.”

The contractor and City will coordinate with TTC for temporary relocation of transit stops impacted by construction, the company said.

Even though the main replacement is required, residents and members of the Long Branch Better Improvement Area (BIA) are seeking a one or two-year deferral of the project, which they say will force struggling businesses to close

“This will restrict access to the business all while in a pandemic and just when we are finally coming out of COVID-19 lockdown,” said Shelley Porritt, Broker of Record for Royal LePage Porritt Real Estate and member of the Long Branch BIA, in a letter to members. “If this project was to proceed, the only chance that these businesses may have to stay afloat will be taken away from them they may be forced to close down for good.”

She wrote to Mayor John Tory and other City officials warning them that businesses have suffered financially and will face more challenges from the water main  installation by losing their parking for customers, access to their retail spaces due to lane reduction, noise, dust and water shut offs to either run their business or for continued cleaning during the pandemic.

“If this project moves forward, we will create a ghost town as I believe many of our small businesses will not survive and close their doors permanent,” she said. “This project will be detrimental to the survivorship of many of our businesses along Lakeshore Blvd. W. in Long Branch.”

She was told the work will not be issued for tender until March.

“I, along with other business owners requested that the city defer this project one-two years to allow businesses to get up and running after such a devastating year due to the COVID-19 pandemic and multiple lockdowns,” she told residents and the BIA.

“The concern is that we have already been gravely affected as businesses by the pandemic and the various lockdowns issued,” Porritt told Tory. “Most of our businesses here are barely hanging on from being closed and unable to pay their rent, salaries, mortgages, etc.”

The Mayor or other City officials have not replied to calls to defer the installation.