The City of Courtenay is seeking public input on plans to remove the failing retaining wall and restore the riverbank along Anderton Avenue to better resist erosion. The project is funded by the provincial Ministry of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness through the Disaster Resilience Innovation Funding program.
The City invites the public to share their vision for the area through an online survey open March 18 – April 15. Feedback from the survey will help inform conceptual design options. Once those designs are developed, the public will be invited to review the options and share feedback in a second round of engagement planned for later this year.
“This project is necessary to address long-standing structural issues with the Anderton Avenue retaining wall,” said Mayor Bob Wells. “At the same time, it creates an opportunity to explore what’s possible for this area and design something the community can enjoy for years to come.”
The project area includes the land directly behind the sheet-pile and concrete sections of the Anderton Avenue retaining wall on the west bank of the Courtenay River. The site is approximately 320 metres long, extending from 90 5th Street (the site of the former Bridge Lounge) to the northern limit of Riverside Park.
“Erosion has undermined the foundation of the retaining wall, which is a registered flood protection dike,” said Jeanniene Tazzioli, Manager of Environmental Engineering at the City of Courtenay. “Because the surrounding land is higher than the wall, the riverbank can be restored without increasing flood risk for nearby properties.”
Information about the project, including the public engagement survey, is available at courtenay.ca/anderton-restoration. Hard copies of the survey will also be available at City Hall.
Fast facts
- The City of Courtenay is developing plans to remove the failing retaining wall along Anderton Avenue, restore the riverbank and create a space for the community to enjoy.
- A public survey is open March 18 – April 15 to collect public input on the vision for this area. This will help inform conceptual design options.
- This project phase is funded by the Ministry of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness through the Disaster Resilience Innovation Funding program.
- The public will have another opportunity to provide feedback on the proposed conceptual designs once they are developed later this year.