Squamish council unloaded its concerns about the proposed improvements to the Sea to Sky Highway on highway project leaders Monday (Nov. 22).
Peter Milburn, the Sea to Sky Highway Project manager, updated council on the consultation process currently under way in Squamish. John Cavanagh, the project director for the Squamish area, and communications consultant Andrew Mackey of the firm Kirk and Co, accompanied Milburn.
Cavanagh gave an overview of the pre-design plans while Mackey talked about the current consultation process.
The project representatives reported that many meetings were held and most of those meetings included District of Squamish (DOS) staff. There is still more consultation to come as preliminary design consultation is slated for next year and that will be followed by detailed design consultation.
District deputy administrator Brent Leigh indicated before the meeting that there is a significant gap between the highway improvement plans for Squamish and council's expectations.
That was reinforced as council members expressed their concerns. Speed limits, the future of Centennial Way, connectivity and issues around trails and sidewalks concern council.
"I can tell you that we don't want a 80 or 90 kilometre an hour speed limit through our community," the mayor said after council learned that the MOT has not determined what the speed limit will be as that comes later in the process.
"It doesn't make sense to me that the speed limit at Lions Bay is 60-k and I've seen one jogger in five years, yet you can go through Squamish at 80-k."
Other council members agreed with the mayor's concern and related to that is a concern over the number of planned traffic lights.
"Doing these intersections with as few lights as possible is important," said Coun. Sonja Lebans.
Keeping traffic lights to a minimum while maintaining local connectivity on either sides of the highway means using vehicle underpasses or overpasses and at this stage the MOT is not proposing either in Squamish.
Planning for future growth is another issue of concern. The future of the Interfor mill lands, the former Nexen site and the Squamish Business Park were all pointed to as growth areas where access to Hwy. 99 needs to be considered.
Coun. Jeff Dawson complained that there is no "wow factor" in the plans.
"I see a bunch of band-aids on a potentially cancerous leg," Dawson said.
Council discussed the DOS position on the improvements at a seperate meeting. DOS staff is working on a report that will lay out that position for the MOT. A town hall meeting on the highway improvements is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Tuesday (Nov. 30) at Municipal Hall. That meeting will give residents a chance to give council and DOS staff feedback on what residents feel about the highway plans.
MOT community relations officer Pam Tattersfield was on hand for the Monday meeting. She said that anyone with questions about the project can visit her at the project office in the Forests Ministry building on Loggers Lane or call her at 604-898-2117.
