Another transportaion plan?
Residents in east Osoyoos think they have a better way of addressing traffic concerns and have formed a committee to study the traffic plan proposed by the Ministry of Transportation, the Town of Osoyoos and the Osoyoos Indian Band.
In fact, they have created their own Cedar Villa plan, complete with notes on their rationale and two maps, options A and B. Delegation Fred Cawdell presented it to Osoyoos Town Council at the November 7 meeting.
Cawdell explained that the committee was formed to give residents an opportunity to address some of the perceived flaws in the plan put forward by consultant and engineer Dave Kneeshaw.
A draft of Kneeshaw's traffic plan went to an open house September 21, where Osoyoos residents had a first look at a proposal to address traffic and safety issues in Osoyoos east of the bridge.
At the council meeting, Cawdell also presented a petition, signed by all the residents of Cedar Villa Strata K202, which opposes the official Osoyoos East Sector Transportation Plan/Review. He also voiced disappointment that eastside residents were not consulted as part of the planning process.
We are most disappointed that there was no representation into the traffic plan from residents of the east side, Cawdell said.
He went on to question specific options outlined in the Ministry/Town of Osoyoos/OIB plan, including closing off access on Tamarack Drive on the north side of Rattlesnake Canyon between Jackpine Lane and Cedar Lane, the extension of Cedar Lane east to connect with 45th Street, and the addition of a frontage road from Cottonwood Drive parallel to the south side of Highway 3, dipping between Paradise Park and the Adriatic Motel.
Cawdell also pointed out that east Osoyoos now has a fire truck, parked at 5822 51st Street, a street slated to be closed off.
The only way that fire truck would be able to get out and answer any calls on the north side of Highway No. 3, would be to go through a maze of streets and roads to try and get over across the highway. That is not a timely fashion for an emergency vehicle.
And if the corner of Tamarack Drive and Highway No. 3 is deemed to be dangerous, then it is because council allowed a go-cart track to be put in a residential area without ample parking or sidewalks, Cawdell added.
Cawdell agreed there is a need for better roads to accommodate increased traffic from the developments along Cottonwood Drive and Lakeshore Drive, and from the Osoyoos Indian Band developments.
But don't come through our neighbourhood with roads going nowhere, Cawdell said.
Cawdell noted that duplicate packages of the Cedar Villa plan have been sent to the Minister of Transportation and Dave KneeshawrnHe added that between the residents' two options, he strongly recommended option B, which leaves all of the access roads between the lights open.
Mayor Slater thanked Cawdell for his presentation and clarified the town's involvement with the transportation plan.
We're not proposing anything. Two and half years ago, we got together with the Ministry of Highways, the Osoyoos Indian Band and a consultant and said we needed to look at east transportation plans, Slater said.
The consultant and Highways engineers actually came up with those plans. We haven't had any input whatsoever into that, and I agree with you, I think some of them are ludicrous. Council certainly hasn't adopted any of those items on that plan.rnSlater added that the residents' plan will prove valuable and noted council will be meeting with the consultant early in the new year to look over some of the comment sheets and will be involving the neighbourhood.
