The City of Burnaby is being praised by at least one resident after it cancelled at project that would have included new sidewalks.
I recently wrote about the city recently notifying a group of residents about a water main replacement and road rehabilitation project on Blaine Drive between Cliff Avenue and the lane south of Curtis Street in North Burnaby.
Blaine was set to be “upgraded” with full road resurfacing, sidewalk and boulevard, with work expected to start in spring 2021 or 2022.
Only not everyone was cool with the idea, including Blaine resident Fernando Cirillo, who called the project absurd.
“None of us want this so-called improvement and we will fight it to the end,” Cirillo said at the time.
Now, he’s doling out kudos to the city after it sent a letter to residents saying the project wasn’t moving to the construction phase due to the outcry from residents. It is now reassessing the project to see if the sidewalks portion is really needed.
“City hall and others would be proud of the fact that they listened to the will of the people and those who live on the street,” Cirillo told me. “Burnaby should be proud and we appreciate the fact they called it off. Spend these tax dollars where they are needed, like sidewalks up Centennial Way to Burnaby Mountain Park. Think about it, the only way up there if you can't safely walk is by car or up the very steep Cross Canada Mountain trail up the West Face of Burnaby Mountain.”
I’m still stunned by this story. I get so many letters from residents of different parts of Burnaby begging the city to add sidewalks to their streets that it was truly shocking to hear from residents who didn’t want such a project.
But they spoke up and the city listened.
Some of this money will then go towards building sidewalks other areas, which is a stated plan of the city.
Council approved $10 million in additional funding to get the city caught up in areas missing sidewalks.
Follow Chris Campbell on Twitter @shinebox44.
