A group of 67 residents put their names on a petition asking the city to reconstruct the brick retaining wall on 1st Street South and Victoria Avenue. The petition also asks for better maintenance of 1st Street South.
Brian Kostiuk, who lives in the area, collected the signatures and submitted a list of what residents hope the city will look at again.
The complaint focuses mostly on the retaining wall, which limits sight lines as vehicles attempt to enter onto Victoria Avenue.
Mayor Wayne Stetski said that not long ago council had referred the topic to the Cranbrook in Motion committee.
“If I remember, the Cranbrook in Motion committee of the time didn’t perceive it to be a problem,” Stetski said.
Coun. Denise Pallesen said that the concerns had come to the Cranbrook in Motion committee in past years. She said that professionals have looked at the problem.
“If folks stop at the stop sign, and then cautiously proceed forward until they can see up and down the road, the sight lines are good,” Pallesen said.
Pallesen said that the RCMP also attended some of the meetings and said it was not an issue as well.
“It’s one of those intersections where we just have to be cautious,” she said.
Coun. Gerry Warner wondered if he was away for that meeting, as he didn’t recall the decision that found the access safe.
“I’ve driven that deliberately and tested it and I don’t think those sight lines are good,” Warner said. “I’m not a professional so maybe I’m wrong.”
He said a lot of people do rolling creeps into the road, and vehicles headed down Victoria Avenue are usually going fast. Worse still is that the Rotary Trail comes down there as well, leading bikes and skateboarders into danger.
“There is real potential for serious injury or even death there,” he said. “I know we don’t like to revisit things but I would like to see this come back through the Cranbrook in Motion committee.”
Mayor Stetski noted that an option discussed at one time was just to close the access altogether, though that proved unpopular with residents.
Pallesen said the key is to drive defensively and conscientiously, since there are blind corners everywhere, not just in Cranbrook.
Coun. Diana Scott agreed with Pallesen. She said that after using the intersection quite often, she hasn’t found a problem.
“The onus is on the driver,” she said. “Rolling stops are illegal for a reason.”
Coun. Sharon Cross hoped there would be some creative solutions to come from the committee.
Council voted to send the petition back though the Cranbrook in Motion committee.