Demolition of Coldstream's former public works buildings has been completed at the district's site on Aberdeen Road. Construction of the new buildings is expected to start this spring. (photo credit: District of Coldstream)

By Pete McIntyre

Coldstream

District council gets update on new buildings and road projects

Feb 29, 2024 | 5:00 AM

Coldstream will be busy with infrastructure upgrades this spring including the new public works buildings.

A referendum to borrow up to $8.5 million to construct the new buildings and renovate the former firehall, passed by a margin of 57 per cent in the October 2022 election.

Council awarded a $10.9 million to contract for the project to PCL Construction in November 2023, with the rest of the funding coming from reserves and other government funding.

District staff told council this week that demolition of the former works buildings on Aberdeen Road has taken place and the next step is to install services and prepare the ground for the concrete foundations which should be done by the end of April.

The new building, and an unheated storage building, will be steel frame construction.

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“The public works building will be a two-storey structure with six work bays and a first-aid room on the lower level,” Janis Netzel, director of infrastructure services, said in a report to council. “The upper level will consist of office space, a locker room, bathrooms and showers, a lunchroom, and a training room. The unheated storage space will be a three-bay building and will provide space to store equipment and materials that require protection from weather, but do not need heated storage space. “

Construction of the buildings is expected to be completed in this fall, allowing for crews to move out of the old firehall in preparation for renovations of that space. That project is planned to start in October 2024 and extend into January 2025.

The district also provided updates on four of its road upgrades.

Coldstream Creek Road

The second lift of pavement on Coldstream Creek Road will be installed once the asphalt plant opens; usually this is around the beginning of April. There will be some works required to de-winterize the road and prepare it for paving. An updated schedule from Copcan will be provided to the District closer to the opening of the plant.

Husband Road

Design is complete for the works on Husband Road, from Kalamalka to the intersection with Mariposa Place and Sunflower Place, and tender documents are being prepared by Urban Systems with the expectation of being ready to post for public bids in early March. Works include widening the westbound lane shoulder, drainage improvements, isolated base repairs, reinstalling a crown on the road, and a new asphalt surface.

Learmouth Road

Learmouth Road, from School Road to Dawe Drive, was approved as part of the Five-Year Pavement Management Plan and is scheduled to be completed in conjunction with a Regional District of the North Okanagan (RDNO) watermain project along the same section of road. The works will include milling and repaving.

School Road

Design continues for the reconstruction of School Road. The project includes structurally upgrading the subgrade and base of the road, improvements to drainage, widening the road to create a 0.6 m buffer between the paved shoulders and the driving lanes, widening the existing shoulders from 1.5 m to 1.8 m, paving the parking lot, and a new paved surface on the road. Administration expects the design to be completed in February and the project to go out for public tender in March. Construction is planned to start in the late spring/early summer.

Council also awarded three contracts at its Feb. 26 meeting:

• A three-year contract was awarded to the BC Corps of Commissionaires in the amount of $361,364.24 plus GST for seasonal bylaw compliance services.
• The park security services contract was awarded to Alpha Omega Security Ltd. in the amount of $40,680 plus GST.
• The 2024 seasonal street sweeping contract was awarded to South Okanagan Power Sweeping in the amount of $46,080 plus GST.