The pleas of teachers, church officials and even the mayor of Sturgeon County couldn’t convince St. Albert councillors to put the brakes on partially closing Coal Mine Road.
Both supporters and opponents of the closure packed into the public gallery at St. Albert Place Monday night for the first council meeting of 2019, where councillors were set to give their final decision on permanently axing the part of Coal Mine Road that connects to Eastgate Way North.
Ultimately, councillors decided to err on the side of caution, siding with residents who were in favour of the closure who expressed safety concerns.
Coun. Wes Brodhead summed up council’s feelings by stating safety trumps convenience.
“I believe that the risk associated with increased traffic through a roadway that was not intended to be a (collector) roadway is inappropriate,” he said.
“You take a look at a map that’s on the screen and it looks big. It looks like a long way out of the way but really what we’re talking about is 90 seconds to 120 seconds in terms of a detour to a particular trip decision.”
Prior to the vote, which was cast 6-0 in favour of closing the road (with Coun. Sheena Hughes absent), opponents to the closure mainly expressed concern over possible negative impacts to Christ Community Church and St. Albert Creative Preschool, which operate out of the same building.
Leigh Ann Smith, president of the preschool’s executive council, said roughly 4,000 students have gone through the preschool's doors since it opened in 1964. She said she’s worried about how the 64 families who currently attend are going to get access to the non-profit school if the closure moves forward.
“This isn’t about travel time,” she said. “This is about accessibility. I don’t care if I have to drive another 10 minutes to get my kids to school. This really is about accessibility.”
She added the majority of the students come from St. Albert, with most using Coal Mine Road to get to the school.
Sturgeon County Mayor Alanna Hnatiw pointed out the land directly next to the road closure is subject to ongoing annexation discussions between the two municipalities, which could result in new developments and transportation infrastructure.
With that in mind, she argued it would be best to wait until all studies are completed before moving forward with the partial closure.
“Many of Sturgeon County residents have also expressed concerns that the proposed closure is premature until alternate and safe transportation options are in place and it may impact their patronage of the commercial areas and their access to the school and the church,” she told council.
“Considering these factors, Sturgeon County recommends postponing consideration of this matter until current annexation discussions are completed and long-term transportation plans are considered.”
The general feeling for drivers is that Coal Mine Road is a main collector, often used as a shortcut to get to Costco or other stores in Erin Ridge North. Motorists will turn from Coal Mine Road onto Eastgate Way North, along either Edgewater Terrace or Executive Way and onto Everitt Drive.
The challenge is the road wasn’t designed to hold that much traffic, which results in roadways becoming plugged up.
Supporters of the closure who came out to Monday's meeting stressed the importance of safety prior to council’s decision.
Matt Robertson, who lives along Edgewater Terrace North, said the road wasn’t built to handle the amount of traffic it gets. He was concerned for the safety of neighbourhood children and feared property values going down because of the high volume of vehicles on the road.
Robertson was sympathetic to the school and church and mentioned he even enrolled his children at St. Albert Creative Preschool, but if given the choice between the closure and keeping it open, he favoured the former.
“I don’t want any kids being plowed down in my neighbourhood so there can be one more access point to the church,” he said.
“They are worth driving the two extra minutes.”
Linda Shirvell, who also lives in the area, echoed what Robertson had to say. She explained she and her husband moved to St. Albert from Edmonton because this city provided a better place to live. Over the years, she noticed the traffic volumes increasing with many going over the posted speed limit.
“Being retired, we have the luxury of sitting on our front deck and enjoying a coffee, but that hasn’t been pleasant over the last four years,” Shirvell said.
“We have had to just put up with it but it has reached a breaking point for us on whether or not we want to continue to live in St. Albert. This has not become a pleasant experience.”
The city found that roughly 1,330 vehicles per day use Coal Mine Road and by closing off that access point, drivers will head to Bellerose Drive, Erin Ridge Drive and Ebony Way.
With the decision made, city staff will immediately move forward with placing barriers and signage stating the roadway is closed.
