A Courtenay resident is asking council to consider prioritizing the memorial bench program and to update the policy. The program was discontinued due to costs, maintenance and other factors.
READ: Courtenay council to consider memorial bench program
Wendy Lewis said her parents built a house overlooking Maple Park in 1965. She suggests the park is a perfect spot to install a bench in memory of her mother, “in a place she loved and watched over for 53 years,” Lewis states in a letter.
At the March 14 meeting, Coun. Doug Hillian asked for a staff report to consider reinstatement of the program or an alternative process. A memorial wall at the Civic Plaza could be another option.
“I appreciate when citizens talk about memories in a particular location,” Coun. Wendy Morin said. “I think it’s important to help folks preserve that in some way.”
Mayor Bob Wells noted that Lewis led the creation of the SkyPark playground at the Courtenay Air Park.
1810 Riverside
Council issued a development permit for construction of an apartment complex at 1810 Riverside Lane, near the 17th Street Bridge. The three-storey building will contain nine rental units, parking, bike storage and landscaping.
Council had previously voted against issuing a permit, as some members questioned the affordability of proposed rental rates.
The city gathered feedback from neighbours about the proposal. A resident at 1800 Riverside suggests not allowing on-street parking, or making Riverside Lane a one-way street, in order to ease congestion on the roadway.
Downtown noise
CAO Geoff Garbutt said staff have done a preliminary investigation of early morning noise in the downtown core, where residents at 5th and England are losing sleep due to noise from street sweepers and leaf blowers.
“We have some competing priorities here,” Garbutt said. “We have an extremely high level of service in the downtown, and it’s been a priority of this council for years to make sure this important commercial node is clean and accessible.”
Staff will report back with options.
Considering a city policy that encourages a greater number of people to live downtown, Hillian said the challenges of early morning noise will increase. Sound abatement strategies or the electrification of the city’s fleet could be options.
“I know that leaf blowers in general are a major noise producer,” Hillian said.
Wells said Jonathan Whitley might have over-stated the frequency of noise in last month’s presentation about the issue.
reporter@comoxvalleyrecord.com
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