At its May 9 regular meeting, West Kelowna city council directed staff to report back on the timing of the project which is planned for the Casa Loma community.
An emergency exit route has long been a safety concern for residents as Campbell Road is their only exit in the event of an evacuation.
READ MORE: Casa Loma evacuation plan ‘step in right direction’ but more needed
Coun. Rick de Jong said he felt this was not the ultimate solution for the community as there are still challenges.
“Which is going to be quite interesting to figure out. I do see this as a step in the right direction.”
De Jong also asked that money to fund the project be specified that it would come from the city’s infrastructure reserve fund.
City CAO Paul Gipps noted there will be approximately $1.85 million in the reserve by the end of the year, and that about $365,000 has been allocated to other projects so far.
“There is plenty of room there. With this project having some developer contribution it wouldn’t use up even half of it.”
In January, staff proposed that $750,000 be included in the 2023 budget to enhance an existing walking trail between Lakeview Road and Casa Palmero Drive.
At that time, council deferred a decision on the project until it could review the information and potentially include it in the budget.
READ MORE: Evacuation route for West Kelowna’s Casa Loma community on hold
In April, Mayor Gord Milsom tabled a notice of motion regarding how to fund the project, and council directed staff to prepare a report for discussion at the May 9 meeting.
@GaryBarnes109
gary.barnes@kelownacapnews.com
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