Estevan Avenue at Cadboro Bay Road will likely get a loading zone after concerns aired by the community about commercial deliveries in the area.
Oak Bay will tweak the terms of parking near the Old Farm Market after council, sitting as committee May 17, heard from staff that a significant uptick in truck traffic delivering to the grocer is causing safety and environmental worries.
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| A map shows where the commercial zone is planned for. (District of Oak Bay) |
The market in the 2500-block of Cadboro Bay Road receives deliveries throughout the day and adjacent residents report delivery trucks are idling in the laneway while waiting to unload. One request from neighbours was to have the alley designated for local traffic only, or be made a dead end.
RELATED: Old Farm Market is new, and open, in Oak Bay
Those requests were denied, staff said in a report, on the basis significant changes to traffic patterns would only be made if there was either a significant safety risk, or evidence that speeds or volumes in the laneway were excessive. Oak Bay’s engineering staff instead proposed adding a loading zone to Estevan Avenue, close to the Old Farm Market delivery bay.
While there is two-hour parking in the area, the market doesn’t have a loading zone like one near Athlone Court on Oak Bay Avenue. There a loading zone is in effect Monday to Saturday from 7 to 11 a.m., Monday to Saturday. District staff feel the loading zone, a dedicated place to wait, will reduce delivery trucks idling in the alley.
The committee agreed to have staff look at creating the timed loading zone – utilizing paint as necessary – and installing a no idling sign.
As the meeting was committee of the whole, the decision comes back as a recommendation to council expected to be on the June council meeting agenda.
Council meetings are held Mondays at 7 p.m. and stream online at oakbay.civicweb.net.
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