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Use of drainage rock questioned

A low-impact drainage system along Kirk Avenue in Summerland has neighbours concerned about the safety of the street.
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Marilyn Hansen shows some of the rocks which were put in place along Kirk Avenue in Trout Creek. Residents have expressed their concerns about potential safety hazards from the rocks.

A low-impact drainage system along Kirk Avenue in Trout Creek has neighbours concerned about the safety of the street.

The road was designed with a low curb. Large rocks have been set beside the road instead of the more conventional storm drain system.

Marilyn Hansen, a Trout Creek resident, said the rocks are a hazard for children cycling in the area.

“Every day I see little kids on bikes, wobbling their way to school,” she said.

Because the children often ride close to the curb, she wonders about the injuries they could sustain if they fall.

“I  don’t understand why they didn’t put in good compacted gravel instead,” she said.

Municipal planner Ian McIntosh said the low-impact drainage system is simpler than the conventional storm drainage system, but the municipality’s plan was for xeriscape landscaping and fine gravel.

“It’s not what we thought we were getting,” he said. “What happened on Kirk Avenue is not what we were hoping to end up with.”

McIntosh added that the municipality is reviewing its subdivision and development bylaw. The new bylaw will include standards for drainage systems.

Devon van der Meulen, deputy director of works for the municipality, said staff at the public works department are getting prices for the cost of removing the rocks and replacing them with a more suitable material.

“The rock was quite a bit larger than it should have been,” he said.

 



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