To finalize a decision made by Castlegar city council just over a year ago, a gate is being re-installed this week at 16th Avenue (sometimes called Sahlstrom Road), north of the Grandview Heights neighbourhood.
Over the last few days, city workers have been hand delivering notices to houses in the Grandview area informing them that the installation of the emergency access-only gate and closure of the road was imminent.
According to the city, when Grandview Heights was approved for development, the main access was on 16th Avenue, south to Minto Road and a gate was installed to restrict access; the road was minimally maintained to accommodate emergency vehicles. Over time, the gate was not locked consistently and as the Grandview neighbourhood began to grow more vehicles used the gravel road which led to increased maintenance requirements not anticipated or budgeted by the city.
The notice summed up the decision by noting, “The condition of the road led to increased complaints from the public, prompting council to direct staff to bring forward options and associated costs for consideration during the city’s budget process last year. Council considered several options, ranging from re-installing the gate and grading the road twice a year to fully rebuilding and paving the road.”
The council of the day chose to restore 16th Avenue to its original intended use.
The decision was partially based on the price tag to upgrade or maintain the road. The options before council included grading the road more frequently at $20,000 a year; adding gravel and grading five times per year at $100,000; rebuilding road structure, ditching, surfacing at $444,000 and completely rebuilding and paving the road at $1 million.
To put the costs in perspective, for the 2022 city budget approximately $85,000 in new spending required a one-per-cent increase to the city’s property tax rate. So $400,000 for rebuilding the road structures would have meant a 4.7-per-cent tax rate increase and paving the road would have required an 11.8-per-cent increase to all Castlegar property owners.
The other major concern revolved around the use of the access causing increased traffic volume at the 37th Street and Columbia Avenue intersection.
At the time the decision was made at the 2022 budget meeting, city staff explained that access through that section of 16th Avenue was explored as part of the initial traffic studies related to creating the Grandview Heights subdivision. That would have meant vehicles would turn off of Columbia Avenue at 37th Street and proceed up the hill to the north end of 16th Avenue to reach the new neighbourhood.
But the 2007 proposal was not approved by the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure (MoTI).
Castlegar CAO Chris Barlow added that at the time MoTI said the 37th Street intersection was already reaching its capacity. MoTI also declined permission to add a traffic light.
So the developer created the access point off of Highway 22 through Trowelex Road and Minto Road and the south end of 16th Avenue. Improvements were made to those points to accommodate the new traffic.
The road will now be closed to general use, but open to emergency responders.It will also be open in the event of an emergency, such as a wildfire.
The city says that concerns regarding public safety have been heard and the city’s fire chief has met with first responders to discuss protocols to ensure the safety of residents in the event of an emergency.
In addition, there are a few Regional District of Central Kootenay properties that will continue to be allowed to use the road as it is the primary access to their properties.
READ MORE: Record drug deaths, paramedic calls in West Kootenay last year
betsy.kline@castlegarnews.com
Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter
