SUNDRIDGE - To build or not to build is the question that lot owners Jim and Beverley Beattie are hoping to have answered.

The Ministry of Transportation (MTO) held a drop-in information session on Oct. 7 at the Sundridge Community Centre for residents of Pevensey Road who may be getting a quarry in their backyard.

The Beattie’s have had their 100-acre lot for 32 years and were hoping, now that they’ve retired, to build their dream home.

“That’s the piece of Canada that we wanted to have,” said Beverley, who drove from Florida with her husband to attend the meeting.

Plans for a log cabin had already been made and they were about to sign the contract when they learned of the quarry site intended to start up directly across the street.

There is a chance that the site may never be used, though.

“Our goal is to make this site available to the contractor,” said Gordan Rennie of the MTO’s North Bay office. “They may choose not to use it, but it’s available to them.”

Rennie says the source was identified for use as part of a $52.8-million contract and the site made available as an option for the contractor to keep the bids low, saving taxpayers money.

“This is only a 15-hectare site,” said Rennie who notes that many quarry sites are 100-hectares or larger. He added the size of the quarry would limit the blasting to small controlled blasts.

“This is for ministry purposes only. It is not a commercial pit,” said Rennie. “This source can only be used for highway purposes or municipal roads used for the four-laning work.”

Rennie says that an environmental study has been done on the lot and there are no signs of habitat and wildlife within 120 metres that would be jeopardized.

If the contractors did choose to use the site, Rennie says the MTO would do a pre-work survey that would check the condition of residents’ wells, etc. so that if there are any concerns the MTO could help solve them.

Rennie says that Pevensey Road will be looked after. He said if the pit does go into operation the road will be put back to its pre-use condition and if any maintenance does need to be done during use it will be maintained.

“Our concern is that these trucks can use the roads safety and we feel they can,” said Rennie.

Area resident Albine Cook is not quite as certain. She says she has measured the road from grass to grass and it is only 18 to 21-feet, with very soft gravel on the edges. If two dump trucks met along the road they would not be able to pass without having to drive on the grass, says Cook.

John Dybczak of the MTO said that would have to be looked into if the quarry did go into operation, noting they would likely have to widen the road to accommodate the truck traffic.