Winnipeg Free Press
Friday November 26 2004
RESIDENTS from one Transcona neighbourhood gave a collective thumbs-down to a proposal to shift a truck route through their area -- even though the project could be more than a decade away.
Several delegations from Mission Gardens let the city's executive policy committee know, in no uncertain terms, that they oppose an amendment to Plan Winnipeg 2020 -- the city's long-term plan -- to move a route connecting Bishop Grandin with the Chief Peguis Trail.
Currently, the route is slated to run along Plessis Road, which is partly residential and already has a traffic problem. However, the amendment would move the route slightly to the west along Bradley Street, and directly through the neighbourhood of Mission Gardens.
Yesterday, EPC adjourned a public hearing on the matter, calling for more information from city administration and promising future information sessions with the public before voting whether to make the change.
"I'm pleased they didn't just go ahead and ignore our concerns," said Holly Mackling, a Mission Gardens resident whose two young children attend the nearby Bernie Wolfe School.
The proposed north-south, four-lane road would intersect the route Mackling's children take to school. Construction on either route wouldn't begin for years.
Extension of the Chief Peguis Trail from Henderson Highway to Lagimodiere Boulevard isn't even in the city's five-year capital budget plans.
But Mackling said it's critical that affected residents are part of the process now.
"We have a civic obligation to make our input now," she said. "This is our chance to speak."
Also yesterday, Mayor Sam Katz and EPC concurred with city administrators on three other amendments to Plan Winnipeg:
-A 63-acre triangle of land along Kenaston Boulevard was made available for commercial development instead of industrial development.
-An old rail bridge across the Assiniboine River was removed from the list of future transit corridors. Community committee has already approved a controversial plan to build condos on the bridge.
-Residential and commercial development is allowed in the old Fort Rouge rail yards. The land was recently sold to a developer who wants to build as many as 1,300 condos, apartments and houses on the land.