Bellevue Main Street Project held open house for design

NICK ALLEN Pass Herald Reporter

The Municipality of Crowsnest Pass held an open house for the Bellevue Main Street Revitalization project on June 22 at the Bellevue Senior Centre.

Chief Administrative Officer Patrick Thomas spoke about the project, where the idea came from and the next stages involved and how this will be the same civil engineering firm that helped develop downtown Coleman.

“There are similarities to downtown Coleman, but some differences. It’s its own thing, but it has a similar feel to downtown Coleman,” said Thomas.

One of these similarities is the area will feel a lot more like a walk-able environment. Thomas explained it’s going to have dedicated walking paths with plenty of benches and places to rest. There will also be raised parking in the downtown area in the same manner as Coleman.

An addition being planned is a new parking area on the west end of the main street. Overall, Thomas said there is going to be more parking overall, even with the added trees and the areas around the crosswalks.

“That’s 100 per cent for pedestrian safety, you don’t have cars coming out or you don’t have people parking on crosswalks... It’s not losing space, it’s just clarifying what’s already in practice,” added Thomas.

In the plan there is going to be some picnic tables to allow for areas to sit and enjoy views. Incorporated into the design is plenty of “hard-scape” which includes planters and rocks as opposed to only using plant material.

“We want to make it a place where people want to be, really feel home and want to get out,” added

Another aspect of the design included two welcome signs, one on either side of the road, at the start of the main street. There were two designs for people to choose from during the open house.

Thomas mentioned they are also looking at having the trees light up with electro-receptors for the winter time.

He also mentioned why the municipality started looking at the revitalization project.

“We have some underground utilities that need some attention. We were going to come in and do that work anyway. Instead of putting it back exactly the same, it’s an opportunity to enhance it while its already torn up,” said Thomas.

There is also a proposal to add a washroom facility near the parking lot at the top of the trailhead, linking the different communities together. Thomas said there is some pushback to the project with ‘just leave it alone’ or ‘we don’t need tourists’ being some of the comments he heard.

“The majority of the project is going to have to occur anyway,” explained Thomas.

He also said some people think the concept ‘looks absolutely gorgeous’ in the drawings. Many have complemented how they appreciate it will maintain a similar look to downtown Coleman.

After the design work is complete, construction companies will tender bids this summer and then they will break ground next spring. The design will take a few months to finalize after the open house and the feedback received. Visit crowsnestpass.com to learn more about the project, with more information being available online in the coming weeks after the open house.