BARRHEAD – The Town of Barrhead will soon have a new playground zone.
Councillors approved Bylaw 05-2023 (the Traffic Control Bylaw) in three straight readings during their April 25 council meeting.
The bylaw effectively replaces the previous version of the bylaw (03-2021), with the only change being a new playground zone on 55 A Street to incorporate the new all-wheel park.
The playground zone will start at the intersection of Highway 18 and 55 A Street on one end and the transition where 50 Avenue becomes 51 A Street on the other.
Coun. Dausen Kluin first suggested the need for a playground zone during the April 11 council meeting.
At the time, he proposed that the playground zone be on Highway 18. Kluin said he was concerned about park patrons taking a shortcut when going to or leaving the amenity and darting across the highway,noting that one evening when he and his wife were coming back from Thunder Lake, a park user darted out in front of them on the highway.
Chief administrative officer Edward LeBlanc noted that Highway 18 was provincial jurisdiction and that the municipality had approached Alberta Transportation about lowering the speed limit on the stretch preceding the park, but they "flatly turned it down".
However, he added that in follow-up conversations with ministry officials, Alberta Transportation will allow the municipality to install a playground warning sign on the highway.
Mayor Dave McKenzie, a retired RCMP officer who has also worked with Alberta Transportation as a traffic consultant, said that, from his perspective, the playground zone encompasses the right area.
LeBlanc added that administration will work with the community peace officer and finetune the zone if required.
Kluin was pleased about the new playground zone butstressed it was important, at least initially, to ensure that the community peace officer patrols the area and enforces the new speed limit.
Barry Kerton, TownandCountryToday.com
