Council approved new traffic signals on the McPhee Road and Theatre Road intersection, as well as a watermain extension. Both are for the proposed new Canadian Tire location off Theatre Road.
“Again, this is some very good news and much needed,” Mayor Wayne Stetski said.
“This is for the new Canadian Tire that is proposed to go adjacent to Home Depot.”
The development agreement between the city and Canadian Tire Real Estate Limited will require the developer to extend the watermain and sidewalk along Theatre Road, as well as relocate a catch basin, as a requirement of building permit.
There are also requirements around traffic lights that need to be installed at the intersection of McPhee Road and Theatre Road.
“That is right where the Rails to Trails meets the railroad track and the connecting trail is being built to link Rotary Way with Rails to Trails,” Stetski said.
The city asked for approval to apply for a development cost charge credit for the traffic signals of the intersection, where the city pays 51 per cent and the developer pays 49 per cent.
The city was also looking for council’s authorization for the use of up to $150,000 from the General Operating Fund Accumulated Surplus for the city’s portion for the signalization of the intersection.
“Basically the recommendation by staff is we provide them with that approval and furthermore that council authorize the mayor and CAO to sign a development agreement that is satisfactory to the director of engineering services,” Stetski said.
He said there has been a need for a traffic light at that intersection for some time.
“It’s great that we can come up with this in this fashion in my mind,” Stetski said. “It does also provide a DCC credit for Canadian Tire, so I think it’s a win-win.”
Stetski did ask how expensive the traffic light, given that city staff was requesting $150,000.
“We anticipate this one to be more costly due to the location of the CP Rail tracks being so close to the intersection,” said Curtis Penson, municipal engineer for the city. “There are also BC Hydro power lines in that area that they will have to work with as well, to either relocated them or work through them somehow. So it’s going to be more costly than a normal intersection.”
Coun. Sharon Cross wondered if it would be possible to put the power lines underground.
“For those areas of town that have their wires underground — and our neighbourhood is one of them —we rarely have outages,” Cross said.
Stetski said that putting just one pole underground can cost upwards of $100,000.
“It’s very expensive,” Stetski said.
Council approved the recommendations.