A Maple Avenue resident has asked City of Powell River councillors to consult with residents on the street about a plan to reconfigure the roadway.
At the January 17 committee of the whole meeting, Diana Collicutt, a 30-year Maple Avenue resident and past president of Townsite Ratepayers Society (TRS), made a presentation, indicating that many residents have not received much information about plans for a project along the street for which the city has applied for grant money.
City council approved an application for grant funding in the amount of $357,000 from the BC Active Transportation Infrastructure Grants Program for the Maple and Sycamore safe streets project, with the city’s portion of $153,000 funded from the Canada Community-Building Fund, for total approved spending of $510,000. The city is awaiting word from the province on the grant application, which outlines measures to reduce speeds and to create a bikeway.
“Quite frankly, we are in the dark about this project because no direct consultation was done with Maple residents on the plan approved by council in October, and absolutely none took place with the society,” said Collicutt. “There were three attempts by the TRS to speak with the planning office about the approved plan. The city’s response was that no staff time was available.”
Collicutt said all information the society has is according to the city’s grant application documents that claim the project is at the stage where construction can begin immediately once funding has been announced. She said boxes are ticked that the project is shovel-ready, and all engineering plan design and consultation is complete, and that the project would be finished by March 2024.
“The grant documents stated that changes are meant to reduce traffic volumes, speeding and through-traffic to allow for cyclists to travel safely down the middle of the street,” said Collicutt. “There will be traffic calming measures installed that include reduction of on-street parking, installation of curb extensions to narrow the roadway, sidewalk curb ramps, speed cushions and added road markings. The centreline will be removed and parking will be staggered to allow for wavy flows of traffic.”
Collicutt said according to the application, removal of on-street parking will occur, which was not addressed in the October city report.
“The consultant’s design memorandum states parking will be reduced from approximately 285 to 248 parking stalls, which represents a 13 per cent overall reduction in on-street parking,” said Collicutt. “Where I live, there will be about a 30 per cent reduction in parking spaces. In front of my property, no parking will be permitted on either side of the street.
“The grant application documents acknowledge there is a lack of parking in the neighbourhood. Why would the city then want to condone more removal of parking?”
Collicutt asked if knowing there is a lack of parking and that the plan will reduce parking, if an assessment was completed. Or, whether residents are expected to park in the back.
Collicutt said residents were asking council to guarantee residents will be provided an opportunity to be consulted about their street before any more approvals are given, and consulted on the plan through direct consultation and proper mail notice before any shovels are in the ground.
Acting on direction
Director of planning services Jason Gow said the city is in a waiting period, had applied for funding and it’s unknown if the application will be successful.
“We are acting on direction we received in October of last year,” said Gow. “Once we are either successful or not would be the next opportunity for us to make a decision. If we were successful, we would go out and consult the community on the conceptual plan presented to council.
“I will note that there were two engagement sessions prior to that conceptual plan being presented and we heard from some people. There is an opportunity for us, if we are successful, to go out and hear from the community and let members of Maple Avenue and Townsite residents have their say.”
Gow said the application had to be submitted in October 2022 and the application can take up to six months and even longer for approval.
He said the city handed out flyers to every property on Maple Avenue and people didn’t turn out to engagement sessions.
“Planning services wants people to come out and speak to us,” said Gow. “That is what we do. We want to hear where there are concerns.”
