Merchants protest plans for Polson Parkway

Richard Rolke - Vernon Morning Star Published: March 16, 2010 7:00 PM

Some business owners claim taxpayers are being taken for a ride. The City of Vernon is moving ahead with the Polson Greenway which will connect Polson Park to the Village Green Mall along 29th and 30th streets. “The general public has no clue this is going on and taxes are going up because of it,” said Kevin Smoliak, with Block Shop Auto Parts on 29th Street. The improvements include curb and gutter, sidewalk and parking on the west side, a multi-use path on the east side, water and sewer works and a landscaped boulevard on the east side.

While a cost for the overall project isn’t known, Smoliak says he’s heard it could be $12 million. “I have no problem with infrastructure and repairing roads but the grand vision of bike paths and boulevards doesn’t make sense. I can count on one hand the number of people I see walking and biking along the road.” Don Smirl, with Vernon Brake and Spring, also questions if the project is necessary. “They don’t need to spend all of that money to rebuild a road,” he said. Smirl also fears construction will drive customers away. “I won’t get much business when they dig up the road,” he said. That’s also a concern for Smoliak. “They will be disrupting business on this street and we’ve had no real involvement,” he said.

City officials say the concept of a route along 29th and 30th streets has been around for years. “It was selected as a north-south corridor to take pressure off 32nd and 27th streets,” said Ed Stranks, engineering development services manager. “It will still function for cars but there will be bikes and walking on it.” The city recently held a public open house and property owners in the affected area were notified of the meeting. “The city is shifting the emphasis in transportation planning to provide residents and businesses with alternatives to single occupant vehicle transportation throughout the city,” said Michael Klymchyk, municipal development technician, in a letter to property owners. It’s anticipated the entire project could take a minimum of five years to complete, and the goal is to launch phase one this spring — 29th Street between 43rd and 46th avenues.

Stranks says that area was selected for phase one construction because the asphalt is falling apart and there are some storm sewer issues. The 2010 capital budget allocation for phase one is about $1.27 million. This is made up of development cost charges, sanitary funds and general revenue. Stranks admits there will be some disruption during construction, but every attempt will be made to minimize the impact to motorists. “We will ensure access to the businesses.” A consultant is currently working on the overall plan for the greenway, and one of the goals will be to determine a total price tag. “Until we get the first phase done, it’s hard to say what the cost will be,” said Stranks.