Wednesday February 26, 2014 www.saobserver.net $1.25 GST Included
Showing some snowy skill During the obstacle race at the Larch Hills Fun Day Saturday, Madeline Wilkie makes her way through the hoops in fine style. Check out more images of the event on page A14.
marTha wiCkeTT/OBSeRVeR
Downtown parking proves divisive Trial period: Two-hour parking throughout the core panned by many Hudson Ave. businesses. By Lachlan Labere OBSeRVeR STAFF
There’s a storm brewing between Salmon Arm merchants over a proposal for free two-hour parking in the downtown core. This is city councillor Marg Kentel’s prediction regarding a debate that’s been growing between several downtown merchants and the body that’s intended to represent them, downtown Salmon Arm. Her comments were made prior to council extending the cur-
rent two-hour free parking trial period on Hudson for another two months. In July 2013, council approved a request from the city’s downtown Parking commission, resulting from a request from downtown Salmon Arm, to extend parking hours on Hudson Avenue, between Shuswap and Alexander streets, from one hour to two for a six-month trial period. Following this decision, council received a petition with 18 businesses in the affected area opposing the trial,
which was supposed to finish at the end of January. However, city council extended the trial period to the end of February to allow downtown Salmon Arm to conduct a survey. The 2014 downtown Salmon Public Parking Survey, which was open to community input, has since been completed and appears to favour expanding free two-hour parking to the entire downtown. In a Feb. 17 letter to council, downtown Salmon Arm president cookie langenfeld calls the response
This week Salmon Arm crowns a new pie-baking champion. Find out about her big win on A13. It’s down to the wire to see if the SilverBacks can make the playoffs. See A21 for details.
from both downtown businesses and the public “overwhelmingly positive.” She asks that the trial be extended to a one-year period throughout the downtown core beginning March 1. “In order to ensure the best reflection of our members’ needs, beginning in Jan. 2015, our staff will once again survey the membership and public to solicit feedback on their experience with the extended trial.” In addition to this letter and the accompanying survey results,
council received a package of letters from downtown merchants who remain opposed to the twohour parking trial. The package includes a petition signed by 16 downtown businesses, a letter from Spirit Quest Books owner Margaret davidson, along with a letter signed, “the merchants, taxpayers and voters of Hudson Avenue.” This submission states the initial trial on Hudson Avenue was approved by council See Council on page A4
Index Opinion ....................... A6 View Point .................. A7 Time Out................... A12 Life & Times ............. A14 Sports................A18-A22 Arts & Events ... A23-A26 Vol. 107, No. 9, 44 pages