A new traffic light is not typically a cause for celebration, even in a small town like Canby, but this one really is a big deal. The city administrator and planning department are pushing for a new traffic control device at the intersection at Sequoia Parkway and Hazel Dell Way, which is also the primary outlet to and from the Fred Meyer complex. #Finally.
At the Nov. 26 Planning Commission Meeting, Planning Director Bryan Brown said he and his staff had been working with City Administrator Rick Robinson for a couple months, and Robinson was now ready to move forward on the project “immediately.” The plan is to use the remainder of the city’s borrowing capacity in its urban renewal district fund. If the City Council approves the expenditure, the light could be in the works before the end of the year.
While there are a number of factors in play, Brown said the largest one driving both the need for a new stoplight and the immediacy of it is the newly filed application for Project Shakespeare, a massive, 531,000 square foot beverage distribution facility proposed for 42 acres just north of Hazel Dell Way.
The City Council’s next meeting — and its final one before the new year — is scheduled for Wednesday, Dec. 5.