For the most part, Victoria council members liked what they heard and saw of the design of public amenities related to the Clover Point pump station upgrade and laying of a new sewer pipe along Dallas Road.
The amenities, at this 50-per-cent design completion phase, include a dedicated cycling path along Dallas Road to Ogden Point, redesigned public spaces at Clover Point and additional marked crosswalks at various points along Dallas. Consultations will also continue this year with the Songhees and Esquimalt Nation to create ways of sharing the story of the Lekwungen people along the route.
In a special meeting of council late Thursday afternoon, council accepted the Capital Regional District’s update for the corridor, which is part of the regional wastewater treatment project.
The presentation led by project director Dave Clancy provided the results of community consultations done in the neighbourhood and clarified the route the bike path would take along the route.
The plans call for a narrowing of the roadway along the Dallas Road seawall between Dock Street and Lewis Street, to accommodate the redesigned walkway and cycle path on the south side.
The force main will be laid on the north side of the Dallas Road.
Three options were considered for parking along this stretch, with the preferred option one that will see angled parking and a series of four pedestrian curb extensions to increase connectivity between the path and neighbourhood for pedestrians and cyclists. The parking plan will see a total of 561 stalls retained between Dock Street and Clover Point, down 37 from the current number.
The parking option was slightly favoured (44 per cent to 41) by those filling out feedback forms, over a similar option calling for just two of the curb extensions. Fifteen per cent of respondents preferred a version calling for parallel parking along the seawall, an idea that would leave more room for vehicle traffic on Dallas Road, but cut down on the number of spaces available.
Coun. Ben Isitt’s amendment that the planners “strongly consider” the creation of a crosswalk on the west side of the Cook Street ‘T’ at Dallas Road was included in the final motion to accept the project as presented.
So was Coun. Jeremy Loveday’s plea that accessibility for people with differing abilities be respected throughout the design of the project.
Next steps include working recommendations that fit the design concept into the plans then submitting the final design for the pump station building, public realm improvements and the Dallas Road cycle track alignment to city staff for approval.
Construction on the project is scheduled to start this summer, after a community open house to provide updates, construction impacts and mitigation plans.
