Lacombe County will pave a small stretch of road in the Summer Village of Gull Lake as a neighbourly gesture.
However, one councillor feels the county may be taking its generosity a little too far.
The paving job is connected to a small stretch of Range 28-2 (Weise Street) that since the Hwy 12 realignment has become a quick route into the summer village, especially by homeowners in the east end.
Although the summer village had hoped to see the road improved and paved as part of the much larger Hwy 12 project, the requests were turned down by Alberta Transportation at the time.
The province has since changed its mind and gave the project the green light, as long as Lacombe County handles the work. The county would be reimbursed by the province for the full cost.
It’s not a project that would normally fall to county road crews.
However, Phil Lodermeier, county said the county could take on the short two- to three-day job to be a “good neighbour” to the summer village, which does not have the county’s paving project expertise.
The work involves widening and paving the short 68-metre stretch of road.
Coun. Rod McDermand questioned whether it was fair for the county to take on a project when many paving contractors are looking for work. It also diverts a crew from county road projects.
“A lot of people are criticizing our roads right now,” said McDermand. “I think we should have crews out on our roads.”
Coun. Brenda Knight saw the project as a “good neighbour thing.
“If it can complete that darn (Hwy 12) project that’s been on the go for so long I think it’s timely to do it.”
Design work on the Hwy 12 project, to move the highway south around Bentley, began in 2009 but it wasn’t until last year that all of the paving was completed.
Council approved the paving help 5-2 with McDermand and Coun. Barb Shepherd against.