The intersection of the Langley Bypass and Glover Road will be a hive of activity in the coming months with the construction of three new automobile dealerships and work on the new Mufford Crescent overpass underway a short distance to the north.
And now that plans to build an Esso service station on the crossroads’ northeast corner have once again kicked into high gear, it will get even busier.
On Monday, June 18, the proposal from Imperial Oil, passed fourth and final reading more than two years after it first came before Langley City Council.
The project received first, second and third reading in the spring of 2010, but then stalled while the Ministry of Transportation reviewed its options for the new Mufford overpass alignment.
Once a design was chosen, leaving the Imperial Oil property unaffected, the Esso project was free to move ahead.
Normally, if a project is deemed inactive for a period of one year, its proponents must begin the process anew. However, since the circumstances were beyond Imperial Oil’s control and “they wanted to be active,” the project was permitted to pick up where it left off in the spring of 2010, explained City CAO Francis Cheung.
The station’s design calls for 10 fuel pumps, a convenience store, a car wash and a Tim Hortons drive-thru window.
Back in May, 2010, Mayor Peter Fassbender and Councillor Dave Hall both voiced concerns over traffic flow — specifically a proposed left turn bay into the station and how it would affect the movement of through traffic.
Since that time, another engineering study has been conducted and City staff are comfortable that the design will not create any significant backups, said Cheung.
Councillor Gayle Martin, who was absent from Monday’s meeting, had voted against the project at third reading, saying she couldn’t support it, because she didn’t believe the development sets the right tone for the City’s gateway.
“I would love to support the rezoning of the property, if it wasn’t for a gas station, convenience store and car wash,” she said at the time.
“I don’t think we need it as the entrance to our City.”
