CANTON -- A former director of planning for St. Lawrence County believes he has a solution for reconfiguring a “problematic” downtown intersection which will make it possible for the proposed Nice & Easy store nearby to be approved and built.

Richard Grover of Canton, who was county planner for eight years about 30 years ago, believes that realigning Miner Street to enter Main Street at the Riverside Drive intersection will solve a couple of problems at once, easing the difficulty of getting onto Main from Miner, and alleviating fears of some people that a Nice & Easy store nearby would exacerbate the already challenging traffic situation downtown.

Grover has laid out his plan:

Opportunity Knocks: Nice & Easy and the Miner Street Realignment

By Richard Grover

The intersection of Main and Miner Streets, in downtown Canton, is widely recognized as problematic from a traffic safety and flow standpoint. Accidents are commonplace and close calls are countless. Pedestrians, bicyclists and motorists are at daily risk. A Nice & Easy convenience store has been proposed for development adjacent to this intersection, at the former site of a Mobil station, and many local citizens are concerned that the Nice & Easy will worsen an already bad situation. The public’s concern is certainly valid, but there’s another way to look at it.

The Nice & Easy presents an opportunity to completely eliminate the intersection’s problems, by facilitating the realignment of Miner Street to connect with the intersection of Main and Riverside. This idea is illustrated in the aerial photo and computer-simulation accompanying this text. In essence, the realignment would reroute Miner Street to make it align with Riverside Drive. Thus, all Miner Street traffic, and all traffic to and from the Nice & Easy, would be routed through the existing signaled intersection at Main and Riverside. The existing H&R Block building and the former ‘Connie’s’ business would be demolished. The end of existing Miner Street would be abandoned and made into a landscaped pedestrian area.

In addition to correcting the problems associated with the Main and Miner intersection, the realignment of Miner Street would help create a more favorable business development environment in downtown Canton. Miner Street serves the downtown shopping plaza that includes the now empty Jubilee, Hackett’s and Aubuchon stores. Miner serves other businesses in that area also, several neighborhoods on the south side of the Village, and St. Lawrence University including Appleton Arena. It helps to provide access to the former Kraft and Cogeneration plants, the Village DPW garage, the Pavilion and Bend in the River and Taylor Parks, and serves as a collector highway for rural residents and outlying communities such as Hermon and Pyrites. If a bypass is ever built around the south side of Canton, it will surely include a connection to Miner Street. In short, Miner is not a minor street; it is an important major thoroughfare.

Traffic is not the only issue of concern to local residents, but the Nice & Easy developers have made it clear they will work with the Village to ensure their building and site are designed to blend in with and compliment the character of the existing downtown area. Yes, there are obstacles to overcome to make the Miner Street realignment a reality. It will take a cooperative effort between the State DOT, the developers, the Village and others. But with a “yes we can” attitude it can be done, and everyone in Canton will benefit. Canton should seize this opportunity.

Richard Grover is a retired community planner who lives in the Village of Canton. He has 48 years of experience as a land use and environmental planning and design professional, including 8 years as Director of Planning for St. Lawrence County.