TO:

FROM: K. J. Stinson, Planning Officer. ce:

TIEMORANDU
COUNCIL DATE: March 9th, 1973,

Re

etsy We utente

Lougheed Highway and Sharpe Street Controversy

I think it is extremely important that the City reconsider
and review the new Lougheed Highway realignment Proposal. Following the
meeting that the Mayor had with Premier Barrett on the relocation, I was
asked to poll the various Council Members as to their feelings on the
relocation, It would appear that the majority of Council is in favour
of retaining the existing Lougheed Highway, however there was a great deal of
concern over the establishment of a new truck route. I have briefly
cutlined the benefits which could be accrued by retaining the existing
Lougheed Highway corridor and they are as follows:

(a) A general upgrading of the properties adjacent to the
Highway will undoubtly occuz.

(b) The Lougheed corridor does exist and purchase of a new
corridor through an environmentally attractive area appears
to offer no significant improvements over the route now used,
Uses adjacent to the Highway are on the whole compatible
and established with the major transportation route,
Interference with the Scott Creek is not required by using
the existing alignment,

A resolution of the Elementary school site which would be
cut off by the new Sharpe Street alignment can be avoided
by using the Lougheed.

The basic planning concepts e8 outlined in the Eaatgate
Study and adopted by Council. can be retained,

The Highway presently acts as a clearcut boundary between
the City and the Municipality,

Preasuree for two major shopping centers will undoubtly be
less.

It would appear the only advantages to the Sharpe Street alignment
seem to be limited to the guarantee of a new truck route and the fact that

me ANP nad nage 7.

page 2.

the District has recently prepared plans to develope a mAjor shoppirz complex at
the Barnett Sharpe Street intersection, It is extremely unlikely that

the Westwood Road would be cutoff from all traffic in the future and would
probably retain its major function as a through or collector route. With
this in mind as well as Coquitlam's promise to guarantee a new truck route
it would seem that the backing of the existing corridor which is Lougheed
Highway would be most appropriate, One other disadvantage that enters ny
mind on the Sharpe Street alignaent, it is likely that the traffic coning
over the Pitt River Bridge will prefer to use the Kingsway cutoff e3 the
Sharpe~Barnett intersection is further vest, and thereby causing the traffic
flow te proceed further down lines which are not the desire of the major
flow which appear to be in a more south-wasterly direction.