Mayor's inner circle approves Sterling Lyon Parkway compromise

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 Wilkesresidents.

"We've been through a lot these last couple of weeks," Morantz told the committee in front of dozens of South Wilkesresidents.

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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 councillorsScott 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.

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Winnipeg chief administrative officer DougMcNeilalso told all members of council the route preferred byMorantzhad 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.

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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.