? ee —= A rr furs a News | | by Girard Hengen The Review A parcel of Town-owned land near the airport has been set aside as a possible site for an affordable housing complex, Mayor Marie Rosko said in her inaugural address Dec. 2. She told a town meeting last Monday that the property is located on Willington Road, “and we, like everyone else, are waiting for the sewer treatment plant mod- ifications, or plans for a tri- municipal plant which will facili- tate a higher level of government financial backing for such a pro- ject.” She said the site was to be sold to Centra Gas for a pumping and distribution station. But she noted the parcel should be able to accommodate at least 24-units, depending on height and densities requirements. Affordable housing was one of many issues council grappled with in its first year. Rosko said council members “have incorporated more positive changes for the benefit of the community than many councils do in a two- to five-year span.” Contentious issues have been $420,000 safety Sidney site reserved for affordable housing dealt with, and council has not shied away from making tough decisions, she said. One of the most controversial decisions was the close 4-3 vote Sanctioning the expansion of the Port Sidney Marina from 170 to 300 berths. : “There was, indeed, the need for a change one year ago. This coun- cil has had the will and the determination to effectively deal with the vision and the future of Sidney,” said Rosko. She vowed that “‘there will con- tinue to be dramatic changes within the administration and direction of Sidney,” The main challenge, said the Mayor, is to provide townspeople with enough services to meet their needs within the amount of Tesources available. The review of Town operations approved last year by George Cuff and Associates was needed “‘to meet current and future chal- lenges.” Rosko said “doors are already opening to the community”’ because of the Cuff review, and by incorporating some of its recom- mendations, like in-house plan- ning, “we will be providing the taxpayers with quality manage- ment and this will ensure fiscal improvement to highway accountability.” On other issues, she said a council priority is managing growth, and council is looking for guidance from residents through their answers to the Official Com- munity Plan questionnaire. “This is an important time for the council to reach out and ask for input, and to assess and reas- sess where we, as a community, want to go in the next 10 and 20 years,” she said. She said council maintains its opposition to the interchange pro- posal which had been planned for Beacon Avenue and the highway. Accomplishments include estab- lishing a heritage advisory com- mittee, re-opening the Nell Horth Room at the Library, providing tax relief to the Boy Scouts Hall and reducing taxes for Sanscha Hall. Tri-municipal meetings have also been established to discuss matters of mutual concern with North Saanich and Central Saanich. She said the many 100th anni- versary events throughout the year gave residents a chance to get together to celebrate. “Tt has been a great year and we sincerely thank all those volun- teers who have worked so hard to make this such a special year.” closes East Saanich Road, gets support Council members in Central Saanich aren*t happy with a $420,000 short term safety plan on the Pat Bay Highway that will close East Saanich and see left- tum advance lights installed at Island View Road. ____ But until a moratorium on major highway upgrades is lifted, the public works committee saw no other alternative than to try to remedy a growing problem. The transportation ministry's plans call for several changes to the Pat Bay Highway in Central Saanich, including the installation of concrete median barriers from Keating Crossroad north to Island View Road. South of Keating, access to Rey Road for northbound traffic will not be allowed, nor will traffic be able to turn off Rey Road to go southbound. Access to and from the highway from Martindale will be main- tained, however, at the urging of residents in the area. “T agree with closing East Saa- nich but I don’t think the solution is reasonable for anything more than the very short term,” Ald. Arlene Box said: Mayor Ted Jones said he prefers to have Rey Road access complete- ly closed off because of difficulty traffic entering the Pat Bay have reaching highway speed safely. The director of highway safety for the Ministry of Transportation, (BEAT THE ODDS) LUNG DISEASE Support advanced research and province-wide community education programs sponsored by your Lung Association. Box 34009, Station D Vancouver, B.C. V6J 4M2 B.C. Lung Association board, which in turn will write to \ (Advertising space donated hy this publication) J Lome Holowachuk, said it would westbound on Island View will be be too restrictive to close Rey lengthened. Road completely and suggested it Committee also requested that a remain “right on, right off’. right-turn deceleration lane for “I suggest we monitor it and if northbound traffic to turn east on hot spots develop, then we'll Island View be built. attend to it,” Holowachuk said. Other plans call for stop signs to __ Responding to questions about be erected on East Saanich Road, time frame, Holowachuk said that.-in both directions at’ Saanich the intent is to get a resolution Crossroad, and for northbound from council to take to the CRD traffic in East Saanich to stop at Island View Road, giving the minister of transportation requesting the works be done. Monday, committee agreed to recommend to council that a mes- sage be-sent to the Capital Region- -al District’s task force on transpor- tation supporting the safety impro- vements. Other plans call for a right-tumn acceleration lane to be added at Island View to help traffic turning eastbound off Island View to go south on the highway. = the right-of-way to turn and go northbound on East Saanich. Island View Road on the west side of the highway to East Saa- nich Road will also be widened. Holowachuk anticipates that with the closure of East Saanich Road, northbound traffic intending to tum up Keating will have more of a gap in traffic. As well, a sensor in the Keating access left- turn holding lane already in place As well, the left-turn holding activates the light at Island View lane for northbound traffic to tum Road, allowing a break in traffic. 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