Major improvements and expansions to Vancouver’s West End beaches are now back on the city’s agenda after a communication breakdown earlier this year.
The Vancouver Park Board will debate a staff report Monday that seeks to create a masterplan for the community’s waterfront, including expanding services and access to a number of beaches and parks in anticipation of growing population and tourism in the area.
The plan would cover the waterfront from Stanley Park to the Burrard Bridge, including Sunset Beach and English Bay along with sections of Beach Avenue, Pacific Street and the corner of Davie and Denman streets.
WATCH: (Aired May 12) City of Vancouver planning facelift for West End beaches
Alexandra Park and Morton Park would also be part of the masterplan.
If approved, a request for proposals (RFP) would be sent to a shortlist of consultants, with planning work slated to begin this December.
The scope of the plan is similar to the one outlined in a request for expressions of interest sent out by the city in May, which was approved by the previous council.
That bid caused confusion among current park board commissioners and city councillors, who said they knew nothing about it until it was made public.
This time, park board commissioner John Coupar says the city is ready to give the massive project a go.
“We do have some aging infrastructure down there that needs replacing,” he said. “I hope the Vancouver Aquatic Centre is in the scope of the plan. We haven’t built a lot of new facilities in the city around parks and recreation for the last 10 years or so, so I think we need the information so we can move forward.”
According to the report, the West End is anticipated to grow by four per cent annually in both population and tourism, which the masterplan is looking to accommodate.
The masterplan could include everything from enhanced recreational spaces within the parks and beaches to converting roadways into expanded park space.
Enhancements to the seawall, bike paths and pedestrian crossings are also on the table to improve access to the beaches and park spaces.
The report also addresses the risk that rising sea levels caused by climate change pose to the waterfront.
“Creative methods of waterfront restoration to adapt to a changing climate and resulting rising sea levels will be a key focus of this masterplan work,” the report says.
Consideration should also be paid to how vegetation can survive under an increasingly hotter and drier climate, the report adds.
Sewer separation needed
But Coupar says the plan is missing a much-needed overhaul of the area’s sewer system, and plans to bring it up at Monday’s meeting.
“False Creek drains right into English Bay, right in front of our beaches,” he said, linking the sewage system to the recent closure of Sunset Beach to swimmers due to high E. coli levels.
“We put a man on the moon in 10 years, we should be able to solve our sewer problem in less than 30 years.”
Coun. Sarah Kirby-Yung agrees with Coupar, and says the city needs to act quickly.
“I’m actually planning on bringing a motion to city council to look at what our options are to extraditing some of this sewer separation,” she said, confirming the motion will be brought forward at Tuesday’s meeting.
“As well, it’s something that we can look at our federal partners for infrastructure support of a really major project.”
WATCH: (Aired Dec. 18, 2018) Park Board approves study into booze on the beach
Sunset Beach remains closed to swimming after Vancouver Coastal Health recorded E. coli levels nearly four times their maximum threshold. A recent reading still recorded unsafe levels.
The report does include mentions of improving stormwater management and introducing soil restoration to the area.
If approved, public consultation sessions will be scheduled to both share initial planning and collect opinions that will help inform the masterplan.
Nailing down a consulting group for the masterplan is expected to take two to three months. After that, planning work is expected to take roughly 20 months to complete.
Preparations for detailed designs for the first phase of improvements aren’t expected to begin until the spring of 2021.
“It is an exciting project that will take advantage of the site’s importance and prominence in order to engage the community in creative and meaningful ways to produce an exceptional outcome,” the report reads.
Costs for the improvements aren’t included in the report, as those will come after the design phase is completed. Funding would come out of the 2019-22 Capital Plan.
—With files from Robyn Crawford
Comments