On Tuesday, council authorized the expropriation of a sliver of land from 387-401 Wellington Rd. to accommodate road widening for the new Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) route. However, a lawyer for the shopping plaza’s owner Skyline Retail Real Estate Holdings suggested the financial impact could be much higher because the BRT’s dedicated bus lanes will prevent left turns into the plaza from Wellington Road. “Skyline has prepared an initial appraisal report – which has been shared with the City – that demonstrates that the loss of the Wellington access will result in an approximate financial loss of at least $12,000,000.00 minimum,” the lawyer’s letter reads. Skyline urged council to add a new traffic signal between Commissioners Road and Baseline Road to maintain the same level of left-turn access to the plaza that includes a McDonalds Restaurant, Metro, and Mandarin Restaurant. Coun. Sam Trosow told council colleagues, “I think it’s fair to say we’re being threatened with litigation if we don’t back down from something that, in the opinion of our staff, is a standard safety feature.” The lawyer for Skyline refuted the suggestion that there was a threat, instead saying the business has a right to pursue a claim under the Expropriations Act. According to Jennie Dann, director of Construction and Infrastructure Services the additional traffic signal would be too close to the existing signalized intersections, “The proposed location would result in the signal spacing of approximately 200m between the intersections of Commissioners and with Baseline. Our traffic management guidelines and spacing guidelines for a divided arterial roadway call for a desired spacing of 800m and a minimum spacing of 400m.” Dann explained that the additional traffic signal would interrupt mobility through the busy corridor. “Adding a new mid-block signal in this location would actually require additional pedestrian crossing time and further reduce the signal efficiency of the entire corridor,” she added. Council unanimously endorsed the expropriation and did not recommend the additional traffic signal. Dann noted that after construction of the BRT route is complete, northbound drivers can still access the plaza by turning left onto Commissioners or performing a legal u-turn at Baseline. “The property will continued to be served with protected turning movements to access the property at the signalized intersections at both Baseline and Commissioners. Over time, users will adjust to new traffic patterns,” she explained.
