Sechelt council will ask the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure (MOTI) for a modified safety improvements plan in Davis Bay, which would eliminate the contentious left-hand turn bay at Davis Bay Road, according to a motion passed at committee of the whole Wednesday, Oct. 27.
The motion, which needs to be ratified at council Nov. 3, endorsed other proposed Davis Bay safety improvements, and requested that an advance green stoplight be installed at Davis Bay Road - but specifically stipulated that no left-hand turn bay be created at that intersection with Highway 101.
The left hand turn bay is the element in the highway-improvements plan that would require highway widening, disruption of the seawall, elimination of parking and relocation of landscaping and memorial benches around that intersection - impacts that have created a fierce backlash to the original project in Davis Bay and beyond.
Approximately 100 attendees packed Sechelt's municipal hall this week for the committee meeting.
Emanuel Machado, the district's manager of sustainability and special projects, launched the Davis Bay highway improvements subject by presenting a staff report about a public meeting Oct. 7. The meeting had been convened to present council's plan to widen the sea walk as a way of counteracting unpopular impacts of the project while keeping the $2.5-million project budget in the community.
Machado's report noted that "the vast majority of those present did not support the design concept for the sea walk expansion," and stated that comment cards showed support for the project from 19 attendees, non support from 105 and uncertainty from four. The report also noted that the majority of comments voiced at the meeting concerned the highway-widening plan - specifically, opposition to it.
Mayor Darren Inkster opened discussions by suggesting that council look for alternatives to the current plan, such as eliminating the left-hand turn bay element, going ahead with a stoplight at Davis Bay Road and putting all remaining money towards improvements along the Selma Park hill.
"I'm concerned that if this moves forward with that [original] project, it will tear our community apart," he said.
Coun. Keith Thirkell made the motion, involving the details Inkster suggested.
During discussions, Coun. Ann Kershaw noted that council has been asking for the money to be moved to Selma Park all along and it hasn't worked so far.
"We were told numerous times [by MOTI], straight out, 'No, it's the way we want it or you're not getting any money,'" she said. She also commented that it's very late in the project timeline for council to switch directions again.
"They're going to say this is such a flip-flop council that they'll just take the money, so be prepared for that," she said.
Thirkell's motion passed, to loud applause, with Kershaw and Coun. Fred Taylor opposed.
