Delivery and garbage trucks try to navigate a narrow laneway near the Olympic Oval while 1,000 cars go in and out every day.
Photos and videos of the traffic chaos - as well as anecdotes– were part of the feedback at a recent public hearing, coming from residents living next to a proposed new residential/hotel/retail complex.
The residents asked city councillors to figure out these traffic problems before approving the 356 new residential units and a 189-room hotel that will be built by Landa Oval.
In the end, it was sent back to staff to see if the laneway issue could be resolved.
The laneway in question is just west of the Ora complex, which includes a T+T Supermarket, and runs from River Road to Elmbridge Way.
The Ora condo building records about 30,000 entries per month into their complex via this current laneway. This is compounded by trucks using the laneway, something city staff said should be done elsewhere.
Several Ora residents spoke of their concern about even more traffic in the laneway once the new building and hotel are built.
The proposal was to widen the laneway by 1.5 metres and add sidewalks on both sides.
City staff noted many of the service vehicles for the Ora complex – like the garbage trucks – aren’t supposed to be accessing the laneway, rather they should be using their own site.
Coun. Laura Gillanders brought up the fact residents at the Ora development have raised concerns about the traffic even before this new project was proposed and well before the public hearing. While city staff told council they had responded to complaints, Gillanders responded by saying these responses haven’t cleared up the problems.
“We’re at public hearing now and it seems like the people at Ora are desperate that we hear their concerns,” Gillanders said.
Coun. Kash Heed noted the laneway has been a problem since the Ora development was built, and cars “shoot down” the laneway to avoid the light at River Road and Hollybridge Way.
“I am sure people who live there are frustrated from that,” he said, adding, however, he doesn’t think the garbage trucks would comply even if the laneway were widened.
Heed, along with Couns. Andy Hobbs and Alexa Loo, voted against the referral to look at the traffic issues.
Staff estimated it would take about three to four months to look into the traffic issues.
The Landa project passed first reading on Nov. 15, guaranteeing it fell under the old rules of only needing 10 per cent affordable housing units.
Benefits to the city from the Landa development come in the way of a $6 million contribution to community amenities, 52 parking stalls for use by Oval patrons during special events – something agreed upon before the current owner bought it - and a $330,000 public art contribution.
