VOTE UNDERWAY | Advanced voting starts today on referendum for $7.5 million sports facility [A5]
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Wednesday, March 27, 2013 S E R V I N G
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Trees uprooted for revitalization RICHARD ROLKE
Morning Star Staff
Roaring chainsaws were nearly drowned out by angry residents in downtown Vernon Monday. Some people were shocked to see trees being chopped down as the first phase of revitalization of 30th Avenue from 33rd to 35th streets. “I just about fell over when I saw what they were doing,” said one woman. Another woman marched over to the contractors and blasted them for cutting down all of the trees. City officials insist there was no choice but to remove the trees, some of which are 30 years old. “We went through a process to see if we could keep the trees with the new (road) design but they would have wound up in the middle of the sidewalk,” said Mark Dowhaniuk, infrastructure engineer. “They would have impeded pedestrian traffic.” Dowhaniuk says some of the trees were also in poor condition, and they will be replaced with trees that are at least 10 feet tall. “New trees are definitely a large portion of the landscaping budget.” Dowhaniuk says merchants were also contacted prior to the trees being cut down Monday. The revitalization project will see new water and sewer services installed underground and the road surface upgraded. There will also be decorative lighting, benches and landscaping.
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Sean Gallagher, with All City Tree and Hedge Service of Kelowna, bucks up trees along 30th Avenue Monday morning to make way for the downtown revitalization project in Vernon. Foot traffic is permitted during construction and businesses within those two blocks remain open. Vehicles are being detoured
around the area. “It’s an adjustment for everyone and we’re making sure the contractor has put up the
signage that needs to be up,” said Dowhaniuk. The $2.4 million-project is expected to be wrapped up by the end of June.
Property owners pump money into hospital project The final piece is in place for funding an expansion at Vernon Jubilee Hospital. The North OkanaganColumbia-Shuswap Regional Hospital District board voted Tuesday to provide $5.5 million to complete the two top floors in VJH’s Polson tower for acute care beds. “There is no question that the project needs to be done,” said director Mike Macnabb. The Ministry of Health
announced the NOCSRHD’s participation in the $29.5 million project in February, but the district did not make an actual decision on involvement until Tuesday. “Given Mike Macnabb the situation over the last few years (with over-crowding), we don’t have much choice,” said director Rob Sawatzky.
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However, IHA officials insist that is not possible. “IH is looking at efficiencies on the operating side,” said Scott Bowen, business support director. “But we aren’t able to redirect operational efficiencies to capital.” IHA also says operating costsavings will help fund the $6.8 million needed to run the two floors once they are open in the summer of 2015. The project will include 60 beds — 14 new and the remainder from the existing wards. “People are quite shocked with
what we’re netting out at (for new beds),” said director Juliette Cunningham. Vacated space in the oldest part of VJH will go from four-bed to two-bed wards, and that is reinforcing director Rob Sawatzky’s concerns about the project. “This is not enough new beds to address over-crowded usage of the hospital,” said Sawatzky, a retired physician. IHA is currently identifying potential contractors and expects construction on the two floors to begin in late 2013.
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Of the remaining $29.5 million, the bulk will come from the provincial government, with the Vernon Jubilee Hospital Foundation contributing $2.5 million. But while the NOCSRHD is on board, there are is some frustration that local property owners have to ease the government’s financial responsibility. “The taxpayers have to put money into this,” said Macnabb. Macnabb would have preferred that the $5.5 million for the project be found through Interior Health Authority operational savings.
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