Municipal Government Suggestions for a Peaceful Summer
It is difficult to imagine in the dead of winter crowded beach parks and parking lots, but it is not too early for the new Council to be considering the many suggestions for improved management of our village parks and parking next summer.
You may recall last September stories in the media of beach users bringing concerns to Council about the impact the higher density of people that included visitors was having at our beach parks. The media found this very interesting and residents in Lions Bay and across Metro Vancouver weighed in. For days our little village was the centre of unwanted attention with reporters walking the neighbourhoods interviewing anyone they could find, dialing random phone numbers and knocking on doors to catch people off guard. Two of the media outlets attended the next Council meeting, their perspiring cameramen and reporters crowded into our little Council chambers anticipating a breaking story about Lions Bay banning visitors. They left with a far less interesting story. So what happened after all this attention?
After addressing a long list of questions that cleared up many facts, I presented to Council a compiled list of suggestions from those that engaged in this debate.
Suggestions were from residents that use and donʼt use the parks on how we can improve management and communication so we can all, including visitors, enjoy a more peaceful summer at the beaches.
Park Use:
• Ban smoking in Parks to align with Metro Vancouver parks. (This was passed by Council November 21st).
• Improve the effectiveness of signage regarding rules of park use.
• Change morning park hours from 6:30 a.m. to align with noise bylaw and enforcement duty hours.
• Amend bylaw to prohibit playing of amplified music, unless authorized.
• Remove the wording that limits scuba divers to residents and friends at Kelvin Grove park from the Parks bylaw. ( this was passed by Council November 21st).
Bylaw enforcement:
• Increase bylaw enforcement during summer months and double up on enforcement during busy summer weekends.
• Train back up officers to ensure consistency of enforcement.
• Parking penalties to be enforced during “busy” periods. Village Parking Passes:
• Passes issued by the Marina staff to limit parking to LB Parking Lot only.
• Passes issued by the Marina staff to Marina use customers only
• General Store to sell visitor parking passes for hikers and residents needing passes
• Limit the maximum number of days for parking to 4 consecutive days.
• Increase cost of pass from $10 per day.
• Charge residents and nonresidents different rates.
• No boat trailer parking on Village land to allow for more cars.
• Free Visitor parking in Lions Bay parking lot to be limited to 3 hours to be consistent with Kelvin Grove and to limit parking by Marina visitors leaving Lions Bay for the day.
To further develop these suggestions, I recommended a committee that includes the Bylaw Officer, Village staff, park users, immediate residents and the marina working together to arrive at the recommendations for implementation prior to next summer. Many residents in Lions Bay have expressed their concerns regarding hastily implemented changes that would restrict “visitors” to Lions Bay. This should be considered in the process.
The beach parks are valuable assets of the Village, particularly for families. Health, safety and enjoyment must be a priority for all who use the park. At the end of the heat wave in September the septic system at the Lions Bay Beach washroom became irreparable. Once is it repaired we need to ensure it does not break again.
Many residents as they walk the village will find they are helping many visitors driving around the village looking for the café and store, a place to park for the beach, a gas station or how to go north or south. Simple improvements to signage could help visitors get to where they want, reduce the amount of carbon emissions from needless driving and retain more peace and quiet in the residential areas.
Density in Metro Vancouver has greatly increased in forty years and so it is understandable our beautiful unspoiled beaches will attract visitors. Managing this increase in population and how it affects us does require continual review and residents input.
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