City of Courtenay Annual Report 2022

ENGINEERING SERVICES 5th Street Bridge Reopened to Traffic The 5th Street Bridge plays an important role in the entire Comox Valley transportation network serving an estimated 20,000 vehicles, 650 pedestrians and 500 cyclists each day. Originally constructed in 1960, the 72 metre steel truss bridge has two vehicle lanes and 1.5 metre sidewalks on both sides of the bridge. Although the bridge had regular maintenance over the past decades, as with any major asset, periodic major maintenance and repairs are required throughout its lifespan. Extensive rehabiliation started in April 2021 and continued until February 2022, when the 5th Street Bridge reopened to two-way traffic. The bridge was limited to single-lane traffic for the majority of the project. The project was Courtenay's largest infrastructure project in decades, and included removal of the existing concrete overlay, repairs to the bridge deck and deck beams, refurbished handrails, removal of the lead paint, recoating of the steel structure, and new road markings. The lead paint removal required that the bridge be “wrapped” to prevent contaminants from entering the environment. The scaffold installation, as well as subsequent repairs to the bridge deck, resulted in the bridge being reduced to single lane alternating traffic for the duration of the project. The City of Courtenay was successful in securing a grant of $1.96 million toiwards the $6.99 million project cost though the New Building Canada - Small Communities Fund. The remainder was funded by the City of Courtenay. The investment in this essential transportation corridor for the Comox Valley has preserved and extended its life well into the future.

INVEST IN OUR NATURAL AND BUILT ENVIRONMENT

Airshed Update to Prevention of Public Nuisance Bylaw

In Courtenay, emissions from wood smoke resulting from home heating is a concern for our local air quality, particularly during winter evenings when the atmosphere traps smoke near the ground. As permitted by the Community Charter, in October 2022 the City updated the Prevention of Public Nuisance Bylaw to regulate smoke that causes a nuisance, with a goal of voluntary compliance rather than enforcement. According to the bylaw, the City of Courtenay considers nuisance smoke to be: 1. Smoke that visibly drifts onto an adjacent property; 2. Smoke that interferes with a person's use and enjoyment of privately-owned real property; or 3. Smoke that interferes with a person's use or enjoyment of public property including sidewalks, roadways, and parks. Council also authorized a public education campaign to promote wood burning best practices and raise awareness of new wood smoke regulations.

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City of Courtenay | 2022 Annual Report