By Andrew de Souza

Council approves two more Cornerstone developments

Jan 25, 2011 | 5:17 AM

City council has given preliminary approval to two large developments in the Cornerstone shopping area.

Both are considered community shopping centres. The first is a 27,000 square structure divided into three sections and the second is a 21,000 square foot building divided into four sections.

The map above shows the lots to be developed (blue) and the first buildings (red) to be constructed.

Both have surrounding parking lots that will have to meet city requirements.

As well, both will be located in on the south side of 15th Street East.

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City council gave first reading to the development permits on Monday. Before the permits can pass second and third reading they require a public hearing for input from the public. As well, they will have to conform to certain guidelines put forward by the city.

Bus passenger safety questioned

In reports from the city administration, staff pointed out that the developers had not provided plans for irrigation or landscaping.

City council voted in favour of awarding the permits with the caveat that plans must be provided later.
Coun. Lee Atkinson said he had another concern however that was more pressing that irrigation or landscaping.

He said the designs took away room for busses to stop for passengers and that presented a real safety issue.

“The bus now stops of 15th Street (East) to let off passengers and therefore blocks one lane of traffic,” said Atkinson. “My concern is about a real need in our community relative to safety and the idea that we are encouraging people to use public transit.”

He said a possibility was for large developments such as this to have to incorporate transit stops into their parking lot designs.

City Manager Robert Cotterill said it was a good idea in principle, but it would be unfair at this point to require businesses who had already submitted engineered plans to change them to such a degree.

“You’ve brought forward a good idea and we’ll certainly talk to the development and see if there’s a way to do it down the road,” said Cotterill. “But unfortunately most of the development has been designed, but potentially further down the road we might be able to do that.”

Mayor Jim Scarrow agreed and said it was something that would be addressed as further development was done.

“I think passengers being off-loaded onto 15th Street are very vulnerable,” said Scarrow. “I think the feeling in the room is that we’d like (something) to happen fairly soon because there is a safety issue, plus a traffic issue.”

Council did not make any formal motions about the concerns.

adsouza@panow.com