Innisfail town council voted to postpone its 42nd Street surface upgrade project for a year, a decision that disappointed at least one councillor.
The town had planned to upgrade 42nd Street between Highway 2A and 48th Avenue in 2013. However, town administration, the Operational Services Committee and engineers have provided various updates regarding the project that resulted in administration coming to council with a recommendation to delay the project for a year.
Director of operation services Barry Baker, during council's regular meeting on May 27, told council more time was needed to formalize a better design so that 42nd Street could operate as a major east-west thoroughfare with minimal maintenance.
The design that was presented back in December will prove costly to maintain, will provide a shortened lifespan and also an undesirable roadway for adjacent business owners, council was told.
“With the postponement of the 42nd Street surface upgrade project it may enable operational services and administration to address and formalize a design to meet the above requirements as well to plan to address the surface water drainage and the environmental concerns of the adjacent property owners,” Baker said.
The east-west corridor is currently designated as an emergency route while Phase 2 of downtown revitalization takes place. The section between Highway 2A and 48th Avenue is not paved.
Coun. Brian Spiller expressed his disappointment with the project's delay, and said he was concerned that the project would be delayed again when the third phase of downtown revitalization continues in the summer of 2014. Back in September, town council voted against a proposal that would have seen both the second and third phases of the downtown revitalization completed within 122 days this summer.
“One of the reasons why we are not doing the 42nd this year is because we are doing Phase 2 of the downtown. Next year we will have another Phase 3 of the downtown where they will identify this route as an emergency route again. As one of the bigger proponents on council to fix 42nd Street, I'd hate to see this pushed back for another year and not be done until 2015,” Spiller said. “One of the reasons we were going to do it late in the fall, (was to wait until) after the downtown was done, but that doesn't work with the businesses there and it will be the same next year, I believe.”
Spiller suggested that the 42nd Street project should maybe be scheduled ahead of downtown construction in 2014. Baker said that it might be possible to arrange both projects to take place simultaneously.
A recommendation for the design and plans for 42nd Street is expected to come to council for approval ahead of the 2014 construction season.
The town budgeted $382,475 for the project in 2013, with $251,871 of the total funded from general capital reserves.
“With the postponement of the 42nd Street surface upgrade project, it will allow funds to be utilized on other priorities approved by council,” Baker said.
