West Kelowna council agree to proceed with emergency exit from Casa Loma

Photo: City of West Kelowna

West Kelowna is proceeding with plans for a second emergency exit out of the Casa Loma neighbourhood.

The neighbourhood along Okanagan Lake just south of the William R. Bennett Bridge is presently hampered with only one way in and out along Campbell Road.

It has long been a concern of residents concerned about evacuating during an emergency.

Council unanimously agreed Tuesday to spend the money necessary to widen and upgrade an existing multi-use path winding from the top of Casa Palmero Drive and connecting with Lakeview Road in Lakeview Heights.

"I appreciate the need and necessity, but I think we can all agree this is not the final solution," said Coun. Rick de Jong.

"It's a good first step but we still have challenges to find additional egresses."

The item was first presented during budget deliberations, however de Jong was concerned at the time as to where the money would come from.

Staff have indicated the nearly $1 million estimated for the project would come from the city's infrastructure reserve with about 16 per cent of the cost coming from developers of the Sol Aqua project.

Chief financial officer Warren Everton says the infrastructure reserve will have about $1.85 million in the account by the end of the year.

Parks manager Stacey Harding says the city has put a lot of work on the grades, specifically the steeper patches at either end.

Those will be paved while the centre section where the grade is less than 10 per cent will be a three-and-a-half metre compacted gravel path.

Staff will come back with timing at a later date.