Council votes to close 43rd

43 STREET SOUTH OF HIGHWAY 4 TO BE CLOSED AFTER 5-4 VOTE

Lethbridge city council voted by a narrow margin to close 43 Street south of Hwy. 4 (24th Ave South) at Tuesday’s council meeting. The decision comes after a public hearing held March 19 showed council members that Lethbridge residents are not of one mind on the subject, with some advocating for the closure and others concerned what will happen to traffic flows through the area should 43 Street be no more.

Lethbridge residents were divided on the subject, and so too was council with only a narrow majority of councillors voting 5-4 in favour. Mayor Chris Spearman and Couns. Ryan Parker, Mark Campbell, Jeff Carlson and Rob Miyashiro made up those five deciding votes. Opposition was led by Deputy Mayor Joe Mauro, who was highly critical of the process of how the decision came to be made.

“If this is considered good planning,” he said, “then I would really hate to see bad planning. As far as I am concerned this whole southeast area has been one bleep, bleep, bleep after another, and to me none of this makes sense. It is absolutely crazy.”

Coun. Ryan Parker said council was simply responding to the realities of heightened development in the area which has now necessitated the road closure.

“We as a city have always been accommodating,” he said. “And that’s not a bad word ‘accommodating,’ because we always want to work with our home owners and our businesses to encourage growth ... By saying ‘no’ to this, is it going to make it any better? That’s the question . ... I believe the new subdivision we have built there, as well as the new school coming, (the closure) will help alleviate, not solve, alleviate the pressure as this development heads eastward.”

Coun. Jeff Coffman predicted closing the street would ultimately create an even greater traffic nightmare for those like his family living in the area.

I think this is going to create some more heartache and strife in this area of the city, and for that reason I won’t be supporting this bylaw.

Coun. Jeff Coffman

“I think this is going to create some more heartache and strife in this area of the city, and for that reason I won’t be supporting this bylaw,” he said.

Mayor Chris Spearman acknowledged the difference of opinion in the community and on council, but felt the closure was the only way to fix the current mess the southeast finds itself in trafficwise; especially with new developments being built in the area and a new school on its way.

“I will support the recommendation (to close) reluctantly,” said Spearman. “I think in the short term keeping 43rd open is a Band-Aid, and I am sorry we spent the money we did on it, but with the new school going in I think the community is going to have to get used to the routing. The sooner we can get people used to that the better.”

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