The city is looking into illuminating a portion of the recently installed multi-use pathway northeast of the J.L. Jackson campus.
Following a ribbon-cutting event Saturday, May 24, marking the completion of a stretch of multi-use pathway that runs along 16th Street NE into 11th Avenue NE and to intersection at 20th /21st streets, Salmon Arm council received a letter from a resident asking for more lighting along the route, with concern over how dark it becomes once the sun sets.
Responding to the letter at the May 26 council meeting, Coun. Tim Lavery, who attended Saturday's event and chairs the city's Active Transportation Task Force, said lighting along 16th isn't bad "when you factor in the provincial building, the hotels and things like that." He agreed the section along 11th, just west of the 18th Street NE intersection is dark, but said he thought the housing development proposed by Canadian Mental Health Association Shuswap-Revelstoke for the property at 1141 18th will take care of it.
"That leaves a remaining section between 18th Street up to the RCMP station, and I’ve had discussion with staff – there are a number of telephone poles there, hydro poles that have lots of connections and wires on them," said Lavery. "I’ve asked staff to check out whether it’s even possible to have a (lighting) davit placed there because there’s not going to be a lot of development between 18th and the RCMP station in the near future."
Engineering and public works director Rob Niewenhuizen said the city has asked BC Hydro if this would be possible.
"Of course that is a budget implication and typically when we add davit lights – it’s not a significant budget implication, people can request street lights," said Niewenhuizen. "We can try and find something under this year’s budget if we get approval from BC Hydro… or we will add it to next year’s budget to have a light installed."
Lavery urged letting the letter writer know the city is aware of their concern and, through a "combination of development and hopefully permission from BC Hydro we’ll be able to address it in the near to mid-term."
