The City of Vernon is being accused of putting up roadblocks for business.
Monday’s public hearing on the proposed city centre neighbourhood plan was dominated by transportation issues.
“The impression of most businesses is you want to starve us right out of business,” said Gerry Sellars, owner of Vernon Town Cinema.
Sellars is concerned that the neighbourhood plan and realignment of roads will lead to less on-street parking.
“It’s wonderful to have an area where you can bicycle and walk but businesses will wither away as customers are driven away,” he said.
“For business, it’s death if you can’t park your car. What ever you are trying to maintain downtown will be lost.”
Complaints also surfaced over a plan to reduce 43rd Avenue, from 32nd to 27th streets, from four to three traffic lanes.
“Businesses on 43rd Avenue depend on traffic,” said Cliff Smith, with Clifford Automotive.
If the plan proceeds, the three lanes would include one each way for traffic and a centre two-way, left-turn lane. The space gained by eliminating the fourth lane would be for cyclists.
“There’s a lot of industrial traffic and it’s not an area with a lot of bicycle traffic,” said Smith.
Gary Krieger, with Vernon Tireland, believes motorists will bypass the area if the number of lanes are reduced.
“If there is a choice between a three-lane road and a four-lane road, people will choose four lanes,” he said.
Other issues were discussed during the public hearing including the need for greenspace along Swan Lake (BX) and Vernon creeks.
“Council would be missing a glorious opportunity if it didn’t increase access to the creeks downtown,” said resident Jim Bodkin.
Barb McKechnie-Boschert expressed concerns that the city’s recent zoning change to residential prevents her from selling her business property in the 3900 block of 31st Street.
“I am surrounded completely by commercial properties,” she said, adding that families will not want to live in that environment and strict limits on business activities have turned potential purchasers away.
Council is expected to discuss the city centre neighbourhood plan at its July 11 meeting.
