Popeyes drive-thru, Shoppers expansion approved (2 photos)

If you love that chicken from Popeye's, there's good news.

Timmins council has approved a site plan control amendment agreement to make way for a Popeye's Louisiana Kitchen at the Highway 655 and Algonquin Boulevard intersection.

The application from Morris A. Feldman Developments allows for a 2,152.84-square-foot drive-thru restaurant and a 10,000-square-foot commercial retail expansion at the existing Shoppers Drug Mart building.

The Popeye's location will be on the Shoppers side of the development in the north end of the parking lot near Algonquin.

“The Feldman family basically they took an industrial site and have turned it into something very pleasant at one of the busiest intersections here,” said Coun. Joe Campbell, adding this work will continue that.

Director of community and development services Marc Jensen said the agreement excludes the recommendations by the Ministry of Energy, Northern Development and Mines (MENDM) related to completing more geotechnical reviews. Council directed staff to move ahead with the site plan changes without these at its June 16 meeting. 

"In staff's opinion, not proceeding with the recommended geotechnical reviews to confirm that the development can be accommodated in a safe manner may result in potential legal exposure to the city," reads the staff report.

The staff report includes excerpts from city correspondence with the MENDM in January.

For the Shoppers Drug Mart building, the ministry said there aren't any "known or recorded mine hazard under or adjacent to the proposed expansion." 

"The primary concern potentially impacting this portion of the property is the stability of the berm, including openings and crown pillars beneath, and the pit walls of the adjacent Hollinger Pit," reads the excerpt.

According to the ministry, the Popeye's will be about 30 feet southeast of the crown pillar from the old Hollinger Mine. It was rehabilitated in 2005 after a previous assessment "found potential for instability". That work was done "assuming the land above and near the stope would only consist of vehicle traffic and parking."

The rehabilitation work, according to the MENDM, was to backfill the stope with sand to give stability to the walls and to install reinforced concrete caps on areas open to the surface.

"Since it was backfilled with sand, an unconsolidated aggregate, there is potential for mobilization of the material into connected underground workings meaning the degree of support offered to the stop walls is dynamic and reduced levels of sand may leave the stop walls susceptible to instability," reads the MENDM excerpt.

The ministry recommended geotechnical assessments for both projects.