The move of the temporary homeless shelter to Riverside Dr has reduced the amount crime in downtown Trail.
A member of the Downtown Trail Improvement Committee made the comment to city council while going through the Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design Report.
Ron Perepolkin pointed out some criminal activity has moved with the shelter.
“It’s died down a bit because police are monitoring it more, but there was instances of drug dealing there,” he stated, but noted a significant improvement.
“It’s not the same level that is was downtown and certainly it’s not really impacting much out there,” Perepolkin explained.
The report makes almost 150 recommendations, including a great many calling for improved lighting.
Criminologist Dr. Bryan Kinney said better illumination at the entrance to stairways heading to West Trail could highlight the heritage structures.
He told council lighting could turn them into public attractions.
Kinney also commented on the soon-to-be demolished buildings in the downtown.
He feels making the spaces at the old Liquidation World location on Spokane St and the former medical clinic on Helena St into temporary parking could make the land attractive to developers.
“Parking is a solid short term gap, probably would require the least engineering,” he explained.
“And then it would be a flat and usable place to start with for the next stages, encouraging people to build on ” Dr. Kinney added.
“If it’s already kind of developed, then it might just make it easier for people to vision or think about new projects,” he concluded.
The Vice President of Operations for the company doing the work said demolition will start once the abatement process is completed.
Garrett White of Local Industrial told My Kootenay Now.com he expected to start taking the buildings down by about mid-July.
City staff say contractors have removed 26 metric tons of asbestos and well over four tons of recyclable material from old medical clinic.
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