The upgrade of Victoria Road near the Trans-Canada, to ease congestion in summer, has been a difficult process — finding a design resolution that appeals to a majority, a higher than budgeted price tag, impacts on local businesses and now a legal case.
Revelstoke’s Gateway Inn owner William Zhao realized last week that the approved design for a roundabout on Wright Street and Victoria Road will permanently close the main entrance to his business.
The Gateway Inn hugs the shoulder of these two roads and its main entrance is on Victoria Street — right where the roundabout is to be installed. Final designs show the roadway to his entrance will be cut off and turned into a nature strip.
Work started in the area on Monday, August 15 and Zhao said he was handed a notice of construction last week which gave him three days notice. He talked to the contractor Speers Construction who were able to push back the closure of his entrance to next week.
“[The city] close this, [it’s] like they close my business,” Zhao said.
“They tell me right now this is unsafe. This entrance has been here for many years. I have been here for over 10 years. I know of no accidents.”
Zhao said he felt like he has no other option than to go down the legal path to stop the construction. He has filed a claim in the Kamloops Court Registry.
Legal action is an expensive route, one that will likely cost Zhao if he isn’t successful, but Zhao is hoping a solution can be worked out beforehand.
“I really hope they don’t go through with it,” he said. “That the city will discuss with me, find a solution for me.”
Without access to the Victoria Road entrance, guests of the inn will need to enter Wright Street and drive around the block to its other entrance on First Street West. Alternatively, they could continue further along Victoria Street before turning down Wales Street and then on First Street.
City of Revelstoke’s director of corporate administration Dawn Low said she couldn’t comment on the specifics of the issue as it is with the court, but said Revelstoke City is covered with the Municipal Insurance Association of B.C.
“The claim does seem to be without merit. Although there always seems a chance for compensation with business, the risk seems very low to the city at this point,” Low said.
“We do a lot of risk assessment before we do anything, it’s all pretty planned.”
Due to the legal suit, Low said communication between the city and Zhao has been made more difficult.
“He didn’t come to the city, he didn’t voice his opinion when asked at stakeholder meetings,” Low said. “He didn’t engage with the city until the construction notice came from Speers.
“We tried what we could. But he did the serving of the claim. Now it’s something that needs to be done through the courts.”
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