Another ‘sidewalk to nowhere’ could soon appear in Smithers.
This after council debated whether or not a non-profit organization should have to pay for a sidewalk on Seventh Avenue.
In the end, it was agreed that the Bulkley Valley Child Development Centre (CDC) would have to pay for a sidewalk as part of its expansion plan in Smithers.
Coun. Bill Goodacre called it the second ‘sidewalk to nowhere.’
Currently there is no connecting sidewalk on Seventh Avenue, and the new sidewalk would run into residential properties that are not responsible for extending it. Staff said it’s a priority to build one in the future.
A sidewalk does run along Columbia Drive along one side of the CDC property.
“Our staff looked at the long-term pedestrian plan for the community and the fact that Seventh Avenue is a key connector, and over the coming years we would like to see sidewalk developed through to the Silverking subdivision,” said Smithers Mayor Taylor Bachrach.
Bachrach added even though the CDC is a non-profit, they’re still a developer and undertaking a major development project.
As of yet, there is no cost estimate on the required improvements for the CDC. The non-profit organization will also have to pave the lane between Seventh and Eighth Avenue.
“We don’t want to build sidewalks where they’re not needed,” Bachrach stated.
A sidewalk that was built along Frontage Road that is far from any other sidewalk was awarded a Paperweight Award by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) in January.
See the August 30 edition of The Interior News for more council decisions from the last meeting, including giving away surplus bike racks.
Related:
Smithers sidewalk wins national Paperweight Award
