Concerns are being raised after Saskatoon city council approved a plan to block off an intersection near the civic water treatment plant and close a portion of Spadina Crescent West.
An analysis by Public Safety Canada suggested fencing in the plant, preventing traffic and improving security, according to a report from city administration.
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Council voted in favour of blocking off the intersection at Avenue H South and 11th Street West.
“I think for all of council, they didn’t feel that it was an easy decision, given that you’re balancing these kinds of issues around security and safety and also traffic flows in the area,” Mayor Charlie Clark told Global News.
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To limit traffic from meandering through the Holiday Park neighbourhood, council also decided to close Spadina south of Schuyler Street towards the Gordie Howe Bridge.
Richard Scrivener has lived on Spadina for more than 10 years and is concerned about what change means for his neighbours.
“By cutting this street off, there’s more traffic for them. There’s a safety issue. There’s a whole bunch of other factors,” Scrivener said.
The administration report stated the closures will benefit the Meewasin Valley Authority because the conservation group will have the opportunity to turn the shuttered section of Spadina into a multi-use pathway.
“There’s still access here for the trail, however, that’s not the whole picture and I think that’s where some short-sightedness comes in,” Scrivener said.
Thirteen people submitted letters to council regarding the closures, including Avenue I homeowner Reg Reimer.
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The Rural Municipality of Corman Park also crafted a letter in opposition to the change because Spadina offers an alternative to Valley Road for entering the city.
“In particular for emergency services, noting that this was kind of a back way into the city of Saskatoon in the event that something occurred on Valley Road,” RM administrator Adam Tittemore said.
The closures and changes at the water treatment plant are slated for late 2017.
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