Residents want to know about new traffic system

Some eastside Osoyoos residents are furious they have not been consulted on plans to re-design the road system in their neighbourhood.
When residents in the Cedar Villa subdivison held their AGM earlier this month, the eastside traffic study was the major topic of concern.
As a result of their AGM, and a previous Osoyoos Times story, both Fred Cawdell and Chuck Emery met with councillor Tom Shields to discuss their concerns.
Last year, the Osoyoos Indian Band, the Town of Osoyoos and the Ministry of Transportation met to discuss traffic concerns on Osoyoos' east side and launched a study to examine solutions to highway congestion, safety and the area's street network.
The study is yet to be released but the lack of communication between the town and eastside stakeholders is troubling, residents have said.
By carving up east Osoyoos and funnelling major traffic through residential areas, residents fear the entire east side of Osoyoos will be destroyed.
The Department of Highways has no business coming in here to tell us what to do and how to do it, said Emery, who is a former Mayor of Osoyoos.
We are the people living here and we should be consulted. Why didn't the Town of Osoyoos let us know? Why go to the Dept. of Highways and leave us out?rnWhat infuriates Emery and Cawdell the most about the changes is the fact that back in early 2003 when they had gone to the town to talk about the rest area on Highway 3 which borders Cedar Villa, they were told their timing was impeccable.
They were told the town was in the process of doing some restructuring of the road system.
As a result of our meeting with council on an earlier plan to move Tamarack Drive over to the western boundary of Cedar Villa, we had letters from Mayor John Slater assuring us we would be kept informed on any issues relating to Cedar Villa that arise during a transportation study, said Cawdell.
Slater also stated that affected property owners would be involved in the process.
Emery added that Slater had also asked them to be on a committee, and, in fact, letters from Slater to Emery and Cawdell were addressed Dear Committee Members.rnCawdell said the last they heard from the town was in September 2003, and then they saw the Osoyoos Times article.
They have been planning this system for some time, unbeknownst to the residents in east Osoyoos.
This is very unfair to the people who have worked hard and spent money building up this area, not to have been told what was going on.
Where are the changes being made and why has our town council not told us anything about them? Emery wondered.
What streets will be affected? Cedar Lane? Tamarack Drive? Maple Drive? Jackpine Lane? If this sort of plan goes ahead, these roads will become a secondary highway.rnCawdell and Emery are getting the feeling the town doesn't want them or care about their neighbourhood.
They wonder if the town has learned anything from the amount of controversy going on with development issues, Rattlesnake Canyon and the like.
We pay full taxes like everyone else in the town. We look after our roads, our pavement, our underground services, our snow clearing, our street lights; we pay everything here and get absolutely nothing in return from them, Cawdell said.
Emery and Cawdell know they, along with 28 other property owners, are sitting on 4.5 acres of desirable land.
They also know that a big box store just might want to someday look at what they have.
Emery and Cawdell fear the town will just push the changes through without hearing from stakeholders. They are offended by the town's lack of courtesy in communicating with them.
They feel that with such major changes being considered, they should at least have access to an open house, and possibly a referendum so that everyone can discuss it.
Because of the promises they made to us and the fact they didn't follow through, they've broken our trust, Cawdell said.
They've made out the town to be a developer's paradise, when it really should have been the showcase of the Okanagan Valley, Emery added.