A Coldstream politician is tired of vehicles landing in his orchard.
Speed, new drivers and road conditions are believed to be the culprits behind the numerous accidents on Coldstream Creek Road.
And following yet another vehicle crashing through his fence, Coun. Richard Enns is pleading for drivers to slow down and district crews to make the route a priority.
“The first major snowfall we had in Coldstream again brought a car into our orchard,” said Enns, who says there are a number of inexperienced drivers on the road going to Kalamalka Secondary.
In the 10 years he and his family have lived there, this is the fifth ICBC claim they have made due to damage. That does not include all of the near misses and minor incidents.
“It is a bad corner,” said Enns, who lives in the 10000 block before Cosens Bay Road.
“I’m concerned that someone’s going to be seriously injured.”
District crews have been asked to make sure gravel is applied at that corner.
A suggestion of installing no-posts was made but it was pointed out that they could put pedestrians at greater risk.
“My concern on Coldstream Creek Road is by putting in no-posts to protect property would actually force pedestrians and cyclists further out into the road,” said Michael Baker, director of infrastructure services.
Roads get smoothed out
Several Coldstream routes will be getting a facelift in 2017.
The largest project will be overlay and reclaiming of Kalamalka Road (from Giles Drive to Highway 6) costing $650,000.
Early budget approval has also been given for the following roads to either reclaimed or overlayed (in order of cost estimates):
- Lavington Way (Bessette to School)
- Varsity Drive (Kickwillie to north end)
- Bessette Road (Learmouth to Lavington)
- Glendora Way (Lavington to Woodland)
- Ridgemont Drive (east end to Upland)
- Upland Heights (Upland to north end)
- College Drive (Kickwillie to north end)
- Sarsons Place (west end to Sarsons)
- Wilmar Way (Glendora to Lavington)
- Wolfe Drive (Montcalm to Woodland)
- Anjou Drive (Husband to west end)
- Fairmont Place (Upland to west end)
- Senita Court (south end to Primrose)
Transit expansion
Coldstream is driving ahead with plans for increased bus service in the community.
An additional 2,000 transit hours will be on board in March 2020, with expansion to the Middleton Mountain network. The route would travel up 11th Avenue from Kalamalka Lake Road in Vernon, then along Middleton Way, loop around Mt. Thor, Husband and Sunflower and then up College Way to Okanagan College.
In order to prepare for the expansion, Coldstream is putting away $25,000 annually over the next three years.