Several dozen people turned out on the evening of Nov. 27 to give their opinions about the truck route and truck parking in Penhold.
Mayor Dennis Cooper said he'd heard from different sides of the debate over the evening, which saw an estimated 60 people come out to give their comments.
“I'm really happy with how many people came out,” Cooper said of one of the best-attended open house sessions of the year.
One thing everyone he talked to agreed on was that the truck route needs to be reviewed, he said.
Currently the truck route through town runs down Highway 2A but also down Fleming Avenue starting at Highway 42. Exits to Highway 2A from Fleming are available on Emma Street and Lucina Street. However, the truck route on Fleming actually runs down to Grey Street, meaning trucks that go down that far can't turn around and are forced to access Highway 2A from that street, which is not an approved truck route.
Council will review the comments given at the open house, he said. They'll need to find a balance between the need to have trucks in Penhold and those with concerns.
“I don't think it's going to be an easy fix,” Cooper said.
Resident Ken McCarthy, who lives along Highway 2A, said he thinks that if access to the business was given via a piece of property over the railway tracks, the issue would be fixed.
Resident Pat Aldi, whose home is on Windsor Avenue, said she was concerned about both the truck route and truck parking.
“The parking has created a situation where truck drivers have to break the rules,” she said. She said sometimes trucks leave their engines on overnight because of the cold, which she can hear a block away on Windsor Avenue, which runs parallel to Fleming Avenue.
She said her ideal situation for the route would be to have the Fleming route run only as far south as Lucina Street so the trucks can get out without breaking the rules.
She also suggested the truck parking be limited.
Cooper said the truck parking bylaw has to be considered again by council. He said if any changes are made, they'll have to address the issue through education before moving to enforcement.
