A group of more than 150 local ratepayers are contesting CastleGlenn Consultants plan for the twinning of Highway 63 in Boyle.
Local farmer Joe Rosich voiced his concerns at CastleGlennís open house last month, and spoke again at last weekís village council meeting, a day after speaking at the Athabasca County public works committee meeting.
ëOption threeí for the twinning, which is recommended by CastleGlenn, will place the highway interchange north of the village. At the final public consultation on the twinning last month, CastleGlenn principal Arthur Gordon recommended it because ìit has major community support (and) integrates with current development initiatives within the Village of Boyle and maximizes the economic benefit to the community.î
But itís not a satisfactory solution to Rosich, who told council that the alignment plan follows the century-old existing route along Highway 63 and will interfere with many landownersí lots, including his own.
ìThis crazy alignment Ö follows hundred-year-old roads that were designed and used first by horses,î said Rosich with more than 20 local supporting residents sitting behind him in the room.
ìI think this is crazy, and since Iím being paved over by this, I think itís a shame that we have to bisect the agricultural community, which is represented tonight and in a petition that we have given to you as well, just because theyíre not following a direct alignment and instead choosing to follow a Ö less expensive (plan).î
Rosich, whose farm has been in the family for generations, presented a number of poster boards that illustrated his own concept for an alignment that would provide a much straighter route and have minimal impact on local farm operations.
Another farmer, Al Nikipelo, also addressed his concerns to council. He argued that the current zig-zag alignment does not serve the best interests of truckers trying to get up the corridor towards the Fort McMurray area.
Nikipelo asked council if it would consider all possible options, and not just the recommended one.
He did not receive a firm response from council on whether Rosichís plan would be looked at in greater detail, but Mayor Don Radmanovich later told the Advocate in a written statement that ìthe village is always open to all options,î but added that ìCastleGlennís mandate from the province as well as ours was to look at different options which followed the existing alignment.î
Boyle CAO Charlie Ashbey cited a letter from then-deputy Minister of Transportation Tim Grant, sent last July, that gave the village and county a mandate to ìdetermine an alignment that matches the existing alignment to the greatest extent possible.î
Rosichís proposal is being regarded by council as a village bypass, although Rosich illustrated it does come very close to the village, while still providing a very straight route north.
Nikipelo claims the curves on Highway 63 are dangerous, citing a single-vehicle rollover at the Highway 663 turnoff he witnessed near his home the morning after appearing before council.
According to Jeanna Friedley of the communications branch of Alberta Transportation, feedback from the village, county and ìa business group along the existing Highway 63 corridorî indicated a village bypass was undesirable, leading to the new study led by CastleGlenn to follow the existing alignment.
Gordon said after his presentation at the final open house that Rosichís proposed plan could cost $90 million more than the option three alignment. Radmanovich told Nikipelo before council that if Rosichís plan costs almost $100 million more, he would not consider it a feasible option.
After giving his presentation to council, Rosich submitted his petition of at least 150 local ratepayers who are not in agreement with the current plan recommended by the consultants.
ìI think that our momentum is only just beginning, in terms of hopefully bringing on line the support of all of the industry and traveling public to and from Fort McMurray,î said Rosich. ìItís fine for them to say they have time constraints, but I donít see any big bulldozer idling at the edge of Boyle waiting to get to work here. I mean, this is years away.î
A decision has yet to be made, and Radmanovich stressed that the final say belongs to Alberta Transportation. The mayor declined to speculate on if and when a joint-council meeting between the village and county may be held, in order to come to a unanimous recommendation to submit to Alberta Transportation.
Athabasca County public works committee chairman Mike Demko acknowledged in an interview ìthe ratepayers have come to see us and theyíre affected in the area, so we definitely have to listen to them. They have some very valid concerns.î
The entire county council sits on the public works committee, and Doris Splane, who represents the Boyle area, later told the Advocate in a written statement that she was pleased that the information was brought to the committeeís attention.
ìThe more information we get, the better decision we can make. I am so pleased that local citizens are getting involved in a positive way,î wrote Splane. ìTheyíre interested in the process and coming up with solutions, even though the final decision lies with Alberta Transportation.î
