Mayor's inner circle approves Sterling Lyon Parkway compromise
No specific route for new road approved, but South Wilkes residents assured they won't face expropriation
Mayor Brian Bowman's inner circle has voted for a plan for the extension of Sterling Lyon Parkway that makes South Wilkes residents happy without committing the City of Winnipeg to build the new road along a specific route.
Since early October, people living south of Wilkes Avenue have petitioned city hall to stop a plan to extend Sterling Lyon along a route that would have required dozens of residential properties and acreages to be expropriated.
In response, Charleswood-Tuxedo-Whyte Ridge Coun. Marty Morantz authored a motion that would compel the city to extend Sterling Lyon along Wilkes Avenue, north of most of the residential properties in the South Wilkes neighbourhood.
City council's executive policy committee voted Wednesday on a plan to nix that motion and instead conduct more collaborative planning with South Wilkes residents.
"We've been through a lot these last couple of weeks," Morantz told the committee in front of dozens of South Wilkes residents.
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Morantz's original motion was approved by council's public works committee on Oct. 31. But the city's executive policy committee declined to follow suit after councillors Scott Gillingham (St. James-Brooklands-Weston), Brian Mayes (St. Vital) and John Orlikow (River Heights-Fort Garry) raised questions about the costs and long-term planning implications of the move.
- Council to vote on Sterling Lyon route without knowing cost, CAO says
- CAO withheld Sterling Lyon extension estimate because figure is 'completely not credible': Morantz
- Mayor's inner circle puts off Sterling Lyon Parkway vote
Winnipeg chief administrative officer Doug McNeil also told all members of council the route preferred by Morantz had not been costed out.
Two city transportation planners have resigned since the Sterling Lyon Parkway extension emerged as a point of contention at city hall. Scott Suderman resigned days after Morantz publicly called for his removal from the project, while Stephen Chapman resigned three weeks later.
- Winnipeg transportation planner quits, adding to disarray in public works department
- White-collar union files respectful-workplace grievance over call to 'punish' Sterling Lyon Parkway planner
- 'We have a huge problem,' councillor says after 3rd transportation engineer quits
The compromise motion approved Wednesday calls for planning on the southern extension of William Clement Parkway to continue, but the Sterling Lyon extension would be done after a plan is made for the overall South Wilkes area.
This gives South Wilkes residents confidence they will not face the prospect of a freeway running through their neighbourhood, Loudoun Road resident David Ames said.
He acknowledged what Morantz had proposed was too prescriptive and thanked city officials for listening to his concerns and those of his neighbours.
Chief administrative officer McNeil told the committee that the city had planned since 1994 to extend Sterling Lyon along a route south of Wilkes Avenue — but repeated his concern the route proposed by consulting firm WSP (the one running through the neighbourhood) should never have been presented to residents.
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