By Madeline Baker, Times Chronicle
Thanks to some preventative planning by the Town of Osoyoos and the Accessibility and Age Friendly Advisory Committee (AAFAC), a multi-use asphalt pathway at Legion Beach that could have posed a safety risk in the heat of Osoyoos summers will stay safe and cool for foot traffic of all kinds.
The trail was first proposed in May of 2021 as an accessible pathway to the splash pad’s washrooms, at which time the potential surface heat that asphalt pavement could reach during a hot summer day was not considered. Slightly over a year later, the trail’s proximity to a splash pad caused AAFAC’s co-chair Mike Stiles to reconsider their pathway plans.
Asphalt pavement is generally considered to be the best building material for multi-use pathways because of its comparative low cost and easy maintenance, but with so many bare feet guaranteed to be playing near the pathway every summer, AAFAC recommended that the town add a concrete border around the splash pad to their plan.
In response, the Town of Osoyoos issued a contemplated change order to the contractor in charge of the Legion Beach upgrades plan, which projected that a budget increase of nearly $45,000 would be necessary to make the change.
Legion Beach contract awarded to Mass Construction
Not only would concrete be more expensive and potentially raise maintenance costs down the road, those funds would need to be relocated from elsewhere in the budget and that would ultimately lead to a shortfall in the five-year financial plan.
When Director of Operational Services Jared Brounstein presented the issue to Osoyoos town council, he offered a third option: instead of adding a concrete section to the pathway, town staff members could research pavement coatings that reduce surface heat at a much lower cost.
These spray coatings generally hold up for 20-25 years before requiring re-application, according to a contractor who works with them, said Brounstein. And by delaying the application until spring of 2023, staff could work the $20,000 cost into a new budget instead of unbalancing the current budget so close to its end.
Council also had the options to take no action, to post warning signs about the hot pavement around the splash pad, or to remove the accessible pathway altogether, but they unanimously agreed that a protective coating seemed like the best option within the town’s means to protect splash pad users from possible injury.
More news about when the spray coating will be applied should be forthcoming in 2023.
