City to share corridor beautification plans with Kinder Morgan

NEWS/ CITY — Plans for beautifying the Tranquille Road corridor from the airport into the city will be shared with Kinder Morgan in hopes of partnering with the pipeline company on the costs.

Those plans include a roundabout at the entrance to the airport, upgraded bus stops, landscaping, signage and other features. Since Kinder Morgan’s pipeline is on part of the route and it will have to be dug up if the company’s pipeline expansion goes ahead, the city is hoping to share costs of its planned gateway upgrades.

But, members of City council stressed today, it’s not going to happen tomorrow and the estimated $4.5 million for the first phase might be too much anyway.

A task force  — with the lengthy name Tranquille Road Beautification/ Enhancement and Gateway Task Force — reported to council on progress made since last fall when an initial estimate of $24 million was broached. The group is looking at alternatives to bring the cost down.

It proposes a two-phase approach, with the first being from the airport to the corner of the road as it turns toward Brocklehurst, and the second from there to Crestline.

Mayor Milobar stressed there’s no expection Kinder Morgan will pay the full cost of the project. “We’re trying to work with Kinder Morgan around their construction figures.”

Coun. Tina Lange made note of the estimated cost. She said when the task force was formed, it was directed to “go forth and find a very simple and inexpensive” alternative. “I certainly don’t remember anything about millions.”

She said the first impression of Seymour Street when people drive into the downtown core is “very, very dismal” and it’s supposed to be high on the beautification priority list but “year after year that has been put off. So far Seymour Street is looking not so great.”

Lange said airports tend to be in unattractive areas.

Coun. Marg Spina said the initial plan is “a wish list” that could take years to build. She said improvements are desirable because “it’s really crummy when we take people through the airport” but “who knows what we’ll get, who knows what will be approved in terms of Kinder Morgan.”