Council Report: Highway Dedication - 80 Atkins Road

Highway Dedication - 80 Atkins Road

RECOMMENDATION:

THAT the report dated November 15, 2023 from the Acting Director of Engineering titled “Highway Dedication – 80 Atkins Road” be received for information.

PURPOSE:

To put forward “Highway Dedication Bylaw No.1129, 2023” for consideration.

TIME CRITICAL:

Failure to dedicate land as highway prior to the completion of the Six Mile Road at Atkins Road roundabout will result in a portion of public road infrastructure being situated within the bounds of 80 Atkins Road.

BACKGROUND:

The Town of View Royal purchased 2070 m² the fee simple land at 80 Atkins Road in 2006 from the BC Transportation Financing Authority for $132,000. The subject land is a “hooked” parcel that lies on either side of Six Mile Road, highlighted in blue in the inset diagram.

The land was purchased with the purpose of installing a roundabout at the intersection of Atkins Road and Six Mile Road in the future. View Royal’s Council has now awarded the contract to construct the roundabout at their September 5th, 2023 meeting.

DISCUSSION:

The planned roundabout will encroach onto a portion of 80 Atkins Road. The encroached portion of land must be dedicated as “highway” to keep the remaining parcel in compliance with the Town’s Zoning Bylaw and to ensure the travelling public is on a public road as opposed to fee simple property. Section 30 of the Community Charter provides authority to Council, by bylaw, to dedicate land owned by the municipality as highway. The proposed highway dedication area is denoted in the plan in Attachment “A” to this report and the “Highway Dedication Bylaw No.1129, 2023” is included as Attachment “B” to this report for Council’s consideration.

SUSTAINABILITY/CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS:

There are no known sustainability or climate change impacts associated with this decision.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS:

The cost to prepare and register the land title documents are included in the approved Six Mile Road Improvements capital project budget.

The value of the dedicated land will be reclassified as “land under roads” on View Royal’s tangible capital asset registry in accordance with the Town’s policy and accounting standards, with no change in the historical cost or net book value associated with the asset.

CONCLUSION:

It is timely to proceed with the required formal road dedication as work begins on this long anticipated roundabout project.