What a thoughtful and informative article in your paper from both Judy Stewart and Jim Messner. It’s gratifying to know that Cochranites, other than seniors, share our concerns over the location of the new Big Hill Lodge (BHL). We residents of the BHL were pleased, when almost a decade ago, the proposed build site was on fifth avenue.
Can you imagine our dismay and disappointment at the sudden switch to the old town office site adjacent to the 1A Highway and the associated negative points to that location, as identified by Judy Stewart and Jim Messner. On Nov. 19th, approximately 35 to 40 residents of the 67 seniors that reside at the lodge attended our council meeting. Roughly 20 residents were not familiar with either site, but most agreed that the location near the 1A was not beneficial from many perspectives, such as crowding, access to a quiet outdoor space free from heavy traffic and the associated noise and pollution, or accessibility to amenities.
Our current location is not proximal to stores and amenities but does afford a quiet location with plenty of fresh air, nearby parks, and safe places to stroll. Over 50 per cent of the residents at the BHL use walkers. It is not feasible to take a walker to amenities from either our current location or from the proposed site near the 1A, which has limited access to mostly non-essentials. The initial proposal on the site of the old pool on 5th Avenue is the preferred location and we would like to thank those who have written to the paper in support. We urge town council to abandon the 1A proposal and go back to the site on 5th Avenue.
Residents of the Big Hill Lodge
