We know we can’t stop progress, and discussions and planning meetings have happened over time, however, why is this City Council approving situations that immediately affect local residents, businesses and obviously local traffic?
The gentleman from Speers Construction said to me “Yah, we’re going to close the intersection Monday and re-route traffic for blocks.” I mentioned to him that may be a bad idea at this time of year for a number of reasons that a man of his stature should probably understand. He said “maybe we could re-route traffic around the back side of the Days Inn, maybe I can look into that.” As a local construction company, I felt he should have done enough studies to realize that the City just approved a new leaf sculpture in the middle of a vegetable and flower garden that provides food to the Food Bank. Re-routing traffic through here is probably not an alternative and in a best-case scenario is a very lousy idea. Good planning.
Maybe it was public knowledge this was going to occur but you’d think the City and a local construction company would have the forethought (or at least the respect and professionalism) to sit down with the local businesses you are gravely going to affect and discuss, well in advance, the ideas and plans. Revelstoke is an awesome place to live and do business and what is happening may be for the good of all residents and businesses in the long run, but this immensely affects us immediately. Timing is everything, and yours stinks. I don’t know if you noticed, but it’s busy in these parts and as small businesses (whom you’ve turned down the right to build bigger like others but that’s another story altogether), we deserve the right to run our businesses, uninterrupted, in the middle of the busy seasons. We pay our taxes regularly, on time, unlike some other privately-owned home establishments in town, and as the same as other legitimate businesses who aren’t affected. Three quarters of my patrons (which we sent) are downtown right now listening to live free music that I pay taxes for, they’re spending money in restaurants and pubs enjoying what Revelstoke has to offer. You’re driving those people away from our businesses. Re-routing is best-case scenario, unless you are a local resident (especially with small children) who are going to see a substantial increase in traffic volume through their residential areas and in front of parks and pre-schools. How do you people sleep at night?
October/November is the time to proceed, not prime-time summer. Should business numbers drop, based on the last two years’ numbers, are we able to be compensated? Even if the answer is “Yes,” whose pockets is the money going to come out of? I do not want to stop progress, I want progress to happen naturally with a well-thought-and-planned-out scheme that hurts the least amount of people. Your plan isn’t it. Please reconsider immediately what you’re doing and thank you in advance…
Dean and Kathleen Leman
Owners,
Monashee Lodge,
Revelstoke BC
