Heidi Castle, North Shore News
NEGATIVE public reaction to a contentious e-mail and the proposed routing of the Spirit Trail between 19th and 24th streets in the District of West Vancouver have brought the project to a grinding halt in that community until at least summer’s end.
“We have abandoned the routing that has caused such concern,” said District of West Vancouver Mayor Pam Goldsmith-Jones over the loud applause of an overflow crowd of some 500 residents at the West Vancouver Senior’s Centre Wednesday.
District staff were looking at running a section of Spirit Trail parallel to the rail bed north of the track that hugs that stretch of the West Vancouver Centennial Seawalk.
“What has brought many of us here, including council, is a real concern about the integrity of the public process around the Spirit Trail, anger about the conduct of one of our members of staff and opposition to the initial routing of the trail, particularly from 19th to 24th,” said Goldsmith-Jones. “Really you have been the canary in the coal mine on this issue.”
It’s in the best interest of the community, council and the project to step back and reassess, she said.
“We should enjoy the summer, we should not think about this again until the fall, and we should proceed with caution,” said Goldsmith-Jones.
However, District of West Vancouver chief administrative officer Grant McRadu went one step further.
He apologized for an e-mail written by the district’s manager of public works and transportation Brent Dozzi, that some in the community felt amounted to political lobbying, something outside the job description of a public servant.
The e-mail encouraged those in the community with an interest in cycling to attend the July 9 public meeting to push for their interests.
“I was, to be polite, appalled,” McRadu said. This action has hurt the district’s credibility, he said. “We have failed you. I can assure you on my watch this will not happen again.”
McRadu took on the CAO position two months ago. He has replaced Dozzi as project manager with Emil Barth, director of engineering and transportation.
While Dozzi’s e-mail is unfortunate, attendance at the meeting is due to the process council pursued, said Gene MacDonald of 101 22nd St. There has been little to no information about plans for the Spirit Trail along the Seawalk, he said. “Information got out and that resulted in the people being here today.”
Council did not know about staff’s proposed alignment of the Spirit Trail along the rail line until May 26, said Coun. John Clark. “We were not in favour of it,” he said. “I do not, I have not and I will not ever; I think it’s ludicrous, frankly.”
One speaker said mixing cyclists with pedestrians invites hazards, while another said she supported cycling but objected to the proposed route running within a foot of her bedroom window. Some property owners along the Seawalk had sought legal advice.
Fourteen-year West Vancouver resident Margaret Baker said while she’s a cyclist she opposes the trail because it’s too close to homes. “Most of my neighbours oppose the path because it’s right there. You can reach out and touch the cyclists.” She said she invites council to her Argyle home to see just how close the proposed trail is to her home. “I was stunned at how close that thing is.” Other multi-use paths in Vancouver are not that close to people’s homes, she said.
“My concern is that a relatively small group of West Vancouver residents here are taking options off the table when we haven’t had an opportunity to fully consider all options,” said John Morrison, Dundarave resident and commuter cyclist. “I would be very concerned if, as a result of this meeting tonight, options for the section that is obviously controversial are taken off the table.”
The public deserves a full discussion of all the options, he said.
“It is very dangerous out there for cyclists with all the cars,” said Stuart Loewen, the owner of two West Vancouver properties. “There has been very little done, for all the taxes paid, for the cyclists in West Van.”
In concept, the Spirit Trail is a continuous multi-use trail across the North Shore Where possible it builds on existing paths and greenway.
The district received a $2 million grant toward the Spirit Trail development through the province’s Local Motion program, money it can use over a four year period. TransLink has provided $500,000.
West Vancouver plans to pay for the remainder of its trail through development cost charges. Its initial focus is on a section of the trail from the Lion’s Gate bridge to 13th Avenue in Ambleside.
The Squamish Nation has approved in principle those sections that run through its lands.
