No appetite on city council to fund $1.5 million in repairs to Penticton street

Byline: Steve Arstad

No appetite on city council to fund $1.5 million in repairs to Penticton street | iNFOnews.ca
Penticton City staff and council discussed possible projects for Building Canada funding during a Committee of the Whole meeting on Monday, Dec.7. Photographer: Steve Arstad

PENTICTON – Penticton city council couldn’t justify the cost to bring a residential street up to standard.

Council agreed yesterday, Feb. 20, to safety improvements at a cost of $40,000 rather than approve options laid out by city staff to improve and ultimately bring Woodstock Road up to municipal standards that would have cost upwards of $1.5 million.

The south Penticton street services only three residences, but a verbal report to council by city engineer-in-training Tobi Pettet noted such issues as the road’s 13 per cent grade, steep slopes on either side and narrow, winding single lane construction was also showing signs of geotechnical instability.

The City has consulted with engineers and developed potential strategies that included widening the roadway to six metres along with the installation of a new water main at a cost of $1,537,000, stabilizing the slopes and widening the road to 5.5 metres, along with installation of a new waterman at a cost of $820,000, or upgrading the roadway to municipal standards with the exact cost undetermined.

Staff recommended $40,000 worth of safety improvements to take place this year, which include a lower speed limit, installation of wait areas at the top and bottom of the grade, installation of a curb on the inside of the slope and development of an emergency plan to provide access to the three properties in the event of a geotechnical issue.

Staff will also look into use of a local area service bylaw to have benefitting property owners contribute funding to the project, in addition to providing an annual budget amount to be set aside for long term upgrades of Woodstock Road.

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Steve Arstad

Steve Arstad

I have been looking for news in the South Okanagan - SImilkameen for 20 years, having turned a part time lifelong interest into a full time profession. After five years publishing a local newsletter, several years working as a correspondent / stringer for several local newspapers and seven years as editor of a Similkameen weekly newspaper, I joined iNFOnews.ca in 2014. My goal in the news industry has always been to deliver accurate and interesting articles about local people and places. My interest in the profession is life long - from my earliest memories of grade school, I have enjoyed writing.
As an airborne geophysical surveyor I travelled extensively around the globe, conducting helicopter borne mineral surveys.
I also spent several years at an Okanagan Falls based lumber mill, producing glued-wood laminated products.
As a member of the Kaleden community, I have been involved in the Kaleden Volunteer Fire Department for 22 years, and also serve as a trustee on the Kaleden Irrigation District board.
I am currently married to my wife Judy, of 26 years. We are empty-nesters who enjoy living in Kaleden with our Welsh Terrier, Angus, and cat, Tibbs.
Our two daughters, Meagan and Hayley, reside in Richmond and Victoria, respectively.

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