Surrey is gearing up for a city-wide vote on a proposed new road that has deeply divided the community.
The city plan is to build a new three kilometer road connecting 150th Street in Guildford to Whalley Boulevard.
The 105 Avenue Connector would cut through a park, school grounds and some homes’ front yards.
Surrey resident Steven Pettigrew is spearheading the opposition.
Pettigrew said the project will destroy Hawthorne Park, described in an online petition as “a beautiful forested area in North Surrey. It is home to countless wildlife species and is an oasis for the community.”
Opponents argue that the park has been designated as an ecologically sensitive area, and that the city is overreaching by using a new bylaw to remove its protected status.
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The city is proposing to acquire five acres of land adjacent to the park to offset losses, expand the park’s footprint by one acre and add new trees and amenities.
“We’ve been told this is for the benefit of the community,” Pettigrew said.
“I’ve talked to the community, I’ve literally talked to hundreds of homes, they don’t want it.”
B.C.’s Community Charter, which governs the City of Surrey, requires assent from the city’s voters to remove land from a park reservation.
In order for the removal of the park not to proceed, 10 per cent of Surrey voters — more than 30,000 people — must indicate their opposition by September 22 by submitting an Elector Response Form.
The new two-lane road would include separated bicycle lanes and run parallel to 104 Avenue one block to the north.
The city says the need for an east-west connector has been on the books since Surrey’s 1986 Official Community Plan.
It says with the anticipated 2018 start date for Surrey’s Light Rail Transit (LRT) construction the road will be needed to ensure access to Guildford and Surrey City Centre.
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