Possible Matchette Road closure concerns LaSalle residents

Some people in LaSalle are unhappy Windsor city council said it will consider closing off Matchette Road, near Ojibway Park, a key commuter route into the city.

The city has approved a proposal from Coco Paving to build new retail stores at Matchette Road and Sprucewood Avenue.

Windsor is exploring the possibility of closing off the road permanently to allow wildlife more room to roam once big box stores are built in the area.

Council voted to take over four hectares (10 acres) of land that will be set aside for a number of at-risk species, but is also considering closing the road off due to concern about the effect the added traffic will have on the animals.

Doris Riehl lives in the area and thinks blocking off Matchette Road would cause problems.

"It's disruptive, I think, to the pattern, the traffic pattern flow," she said. "It would be difficult, complicated."

Jack Dressler also lives nearby, and said he is against the closure.

"It would change everything in how we get downtown, how I get to wherever I want to go, whether I want to go to the States or otherwise, and I think it would hurt a lot of people in this area," he said.

Mario Sonego, an engineer with the city, said it will take a while before a decision is made.

"Depending on what the stakeholders are, you're talking a year, year and a half to get that report done, depending on what the feedback is and then, depending on what the result is, then there's people that have the right to bump it up to the minister for a decision," said Sonego.

The city plans to do an environmental assessment before making going through with the closure.