Sechelt council is inviting residents to a public workshop in early September to help identify the best option for a future local road to connect West Sechelt to the downtown core.
"The connector road issue has been before council on a number of occasions in the past three years," said Mayor Darren Inkster. "With continued residential growth in West Sechelt, concerns about downtown accessibility and Highway 101 traffic problems, and opportunities to link road construction to development projects such as the Walter Burtnick Seniors Lodge, our community needs to select a more local traffic-friendly route between these two areas."
Previously, the connector has been referred to as the Neptune connector. In June, in the context of resident opposition, council voted against a staff recommendation to endorse using Neptune for the connector, and asked staff to bring forward other options.
Currently, the District is putting forward three options for public consideration: Reeves Road to Trail Avenue; Derby Road to Neptune or Medusa Street; and Clayton Way to Cowrie or Barnacle Street. Information on the route options is available at the District office and on-line at www.sechelt.ca.
According to the District, the connector would be designed with two traffic lanes plus pedestrian and cyclist areas, similar to the lower section of Norwest Bay Road. Construction would occur in stages, as development in the area progresses, and could take up to 15 years to complete.
The District is also providing "performance criteria" for the public to use while evaluating routes - questions such as: "Is the route as direct as possible and can it become an efficient and more convenient option for local traffic travel?" and "What are the route's impacts for existing residential and community development and can negative impacts be mitigated?"
Inkster noted that more route options may come forward through community input, but emphasized the need for residents to refer to the performance criteria when providing comment, so that council can evaluate each option consistently.
The public meeting is scheduled for Sept. 9 at 7 p.m. at Holy Family Parish Hall. The District has also set up the e-mail address [email protected] to field public inquiries and comments. Following the public meeting, council is scheduled to consider selecting the connector route in October.
