On Tuesday, Kamloops council agreed to issue a development permit (DP) for a new commercial development in Valleyview.
A new Tim Hortons is being proposed for 3200 Valleyview Drive in the Orchards Walk development.
The 1.5 hectare property is zoned CD1 – Orchards Walk Comprehensive Development zone, which allows for commercial uses.
A staff report explains that the property is the Orchards Walk commercial plaza which contains an existing daycare and medical commercial building.
There is also a townhouse to the west, an apartment complex to the south and a seniors apartment to the east. The CP Railway is to the north.
To lower the impact on surrounding roads, the applicant is proposing two queuing lanes for the drive-thru.
However, councillor Margot Middleton raised several concerns with the traffic impacts entering the proposed complex.
“If we thought that the only thing that was going to turn into this place were cars, pickup trucks, not hailing a trailer, and when we look at the proximity to the highway we would anticipate that we are going to see line ups of semi trucks parked on the side of the highway. If we were to move forward with this, what can we go back (to) regarding signage?” said coun. Middleton, in regard to an increase in traffic in the area,
City planning staff said it was unlikely that semi trucks would enter the nearby neighbourhood due to the narrow roundabout. Valleyview Drive is also not an identified truck route.
In addition, planning staff said no parking would be allowed to park along the highway and enforcement would be likely.
“The intent wouldn’t be for large trucks. We met with the ministry, I think it was about six months ago on this application, there was a traffic impact study done a few years back, and it included a high use (assessment), whether it be McDonald’s or Tim Hortons,” said Marvin Kwiatkowski, the city’s development, engineering and sustainability director.
Kwiatkowski added that it was not anticipated truck drivers would choose this location, however, the option to explore signage was definitely an option.
Councillor Dale Bass had a concern truck drivers wouldn’t even listen to the signs and said she wasn't comfortable supporting the proposal.
Mayor Reid Hamer-Jackson shared similar sentiments about the enforcement of signs directing traffic.
However, David Trawin, the city’s chief administrative officer, reminded council that they were simply considering the DP which included the form and character.
“This isn’t a use question, this is a form, character and site planning question,” said Trawin, adding that the site plan met all the city’s requirements.
City council was reminded that they can’t reject an application simply because they believe it will be a “nightmare” for traffic, as coun. Bass alluded to. However, this proposal fits all of the city’s form and character guidelines and bylaws for this type of development, said Trawin.
Maria Mazzotta, the city’s corporate officer, said the DP procedure bylaw states that council can authorize DPs for an application as is, or as amended by a council resolution and/or deny the DP.
Kwiatkowski added that if council were to turn down this proposal, they would have to say why and show what parts of the DP guidelines are not met, as required by provincial law.
Coun. Middleton said she would support the proposal as long as council bugged the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure about signage and traffic enforcement.
Ultimately, after a lengthy debate about the process for approving or rejecting development permits and despite those traffic concerns, council ultimately agreed that they could not reject this application because they were unable to build a valid argument on the bylaw requirements.
The development permits were issued during Tuesday's meeting.
