By Sheldon Spackman

Cost Savings Found

Lacombe council approves alternative access road to industrial park

Jan 16, 2021 | 1:34 PM

Plans to share the development of an access road required for the City of Lacombe’s new snow storage facility and adjacent recreation area are taking a turn for the better.

After additional time looking into the project, City administration has developed an alternative access option that lowers the combined cost of developing the snow storage facility and new recreation area by an estimated $300,000.

According to City officials, this option lowers the overall project cost, and provides better functionality for both proposed uses; recreation and snow storage.

Option 2, as it was presented to council Monday night and later approved as recommended, moves the snow storage facility to another lagoon cell adjacent to 34 Street, significantly reducing access road development costs.

However, to provide public access to the recreation area, Option 2 also includes a separate access road through an undeveloped road allowance on the southeast end of the recreation area site.

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Other identified advantages include:

• separating recreation user traffic from city heavy truck traffic,
• providing a dedicated entrance to the new recreation area that is recognizable to residents,
• increasing traffic flow in the industrial park with an established recreation area may promote economic development for businesses in the Wolf Creek Industrial Park.

However, with other planned uses for the downstream lagoon cells, Option 2 has no outlet for drainage and meltwater. This means that water can only escape through evaporation or pumping.

Administration estimates a maximum operating budget impact of $5,000 per year to rent and operate a pump in a year with particularly heavy snowfall. City officials note that pursuing this option means an estimated $1.10 million is left available for the Highway 12 project.

Furthermore, the project is also said to align favourably with council’s strategic goals:

• Green Space Preservation – Council considers an on or off-leash dog park proposal
• Sustainable Infrastructure – Former lagoon site becomes an asset of the City, rather than a liability
• Economic Prosperity –The City minimizes non-performing assets and has a plan for assets that are underperforming

City administration is now expected to communicate council’s decision to the affected user groups as soon as possible and to the general public when council awards the construction contract.