Councillor seeks more public input on possible changes to Circle Drive
Coun. Ann Iwanchuk wants residents of Saskatoon’s west side to get another opportunity for input on possible changes to access to Circle Drive.
City council unanimously backed Iwanchuk’s request on Monday to get city hall administration to explore a third open house on changes proposed by a consultant hired by the city.
Iwanchuk said it’s not known exactly what the final report by Laval, Que.-based consultants Cima+ will say, since the second open house in May revealed “strong opposition to the proposal.”
The consultant’s report could recommend potential restrictions of access to Circle Drive from Laurier Drive, Clancy Drive and Confederation Drive, Iwanchuk said.
“This is going to change how Circle Drive is utilized in the future,” Iwanchuk told council. “It’s one of our main corridors in the entire city.”
Usually with a request such as Iwanchuk’s, council waits a month before voting on it, but councillors voted unanimously to waive the delay. The city’s general manager of transportation and construction, Terry Schmidt, said the city’s contract with the consultant expires at the end of May.
The city and its consultant held two open houses to gather public input on plans for changes to
Circle Drive, roughly from Clancy Drive in the Fairhaven neighbourhood to Laurier Drive just north of Confederation Mall. Iwanchuk questioned whether the advertising for either open house was sufficient to attract enough residents.
Information on the city’s website about the first open house in June 2019 noted that traffic increased following the 2013 completion of the Gordie Howe Bridge, which connected Circle Drive on the east and west sides of the South Saskatchewan River.
That document suggests the project will remove traffic lights at the intersections of Clancy and Laurier with Circle in favour of “free-flow standards” to upgrade Circle Drive to resemble a freeway.
The study area is bordered by Iwanchuk’s ward on the west side and Coun. Hilary Gough’s ward on the east side. Gough voiced support for Iwanchuk’s proposal.
The second open house was held in January. About 25 people attended the first open house.
“One of the reasons why I think that it’s really important that we create the opportunity for in-person engagement on the revised plans that are just now being created by the consultant is that it’s highly complex,” Gough said.
Schmidt said the administration had been expecting to produce a report in response to the consultant’s recommendations.
Coun. Darren Hill suggested the city’s approach to advertising engagement opportunities may need to be reconsidered in light of the poor turnout for open houses on such a major project.