Road access demands denied

By RICHARD ROLKE Morning Star Staff Sep 30 2007

Demands that a former Vernon road be reopened have been thrown off course. City council supported a staff recommendation Monday that Kosmina Road, north of Mt. Fosthall Drive, remain closed despite a 227-name petition asking that it be available to traffic. “I didn’t hear any justification to deviate from the staff recommendation,” said Coun. Barry Beardsell. But that move isn’t going over well with John Kosmino, who initiated the petition campaign. “I spent a lot of my time on the petition and they didn’t even consider it,” said the local businessman. He believes he has been ignored by council and city staff. “They couldn’t even send me a letter (on the matter),” he said.

That portion of the road has been in place for about 28 years and Kosmino insists that it could remain a viable route for residents there. “It would benefit all of the people on the left side of the mountain,” he said. According to the petition, Kosmina Road would take some pressure off Middleton Way. “Even with current upgrades to Middleton Way, drivers, pedestrians, public transit stops and children waiting for school transit are forced to contend with heavy industrial and residential traffic. Without access to the upper part of Kosmina Road, there will only be one main traffic route available to serve the entire mountain,” it states. The city launched the process to close Kosmina Road, north of Mt. Fosthall Drive, in 2003.

“The May 13, 2004 staff report examined the traffic volumes on Mt. Fosthall Drive and Middleton Way and found that these roads, especially with the upgrades to Middleton Way, will adequately handle expected traffic volumes,” said Laurie MacKay, transportation technician, in a report to council Monday. “The report also indicated that the portion of Kosmina Road to be closed has steep grades.” A road closure bylaw was adopted by the city in 2005 and the legal plan for the road closure was registered at the Land Title Office Jan. 13, 2005. “This portion of Kosmina Road therefore no longer exists,” said MacKay in his report.
It was reopened in July as a detour during work on Middleton Way, but it has subsequently been closed again. A portion of the former roadway will be disposed of by the city while the remainder will be turned into a bicycle/pedestrian path. “Trails are so important for the community,” said Beardsell.