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Options considered for Coldstream Station washroom

Apr 14, 2020 | 5:17 PM

Coldstream council is considering options for washrooms on the Coldstream Station site, which is currently a parking lot just south of the Alpine Centre.

The district-owned site is currently being used for Okanagan Rail Trail parking with plans to allow associated retail businesses.

At council’s January 20 finance committee meeting, architect Cal Meiklejohn presented three options for the future development of the Coldstream Station site. The committee recommended to council that Option A be the preferred option.

“This option had the potential retail space and washroom facility located at the south end of the property. It also contains a potential bus pull out on the road as well as the easterly part of the parking lot identified for food trucks or other special events. Council endorsed this direction on January 27, 2020,” said a staff report to council.

The district’s staff is recommending a washroom separated from the retail space.

“The advantages with this option is that it is more esthetically pleasing from a retail perspective, is accessible by parking lot users without impacting the potential retail operation, is accessible by users for any special events in the parking area, provides better security and openness and provides a cleaner option should the retail section of the property ever need to be subdivided,” said chief administrative officer Trevor Seibel. “The disadvantage with this option is that there may be additional cost increases by separating the washroom and retail space.”

Another option is to combine the washroom with the retail space which staff says would be cheaper.

“The advantage with this option is that there would be cost savings by having the construction under one building, the washrooms would be accessible by the public and would not create esthetic issues from a retail perspective,” wrote Seibel. “The disadvantage with this option is that there are heightened security risks due to the location, it is harder to access for special events in the parking lot and it is harder to subdivide the property if that is ever needed in the future.”

The District has budgeted $100,000 for the site work this year.

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