Visitors to Kirkstone Park may be in for a smoother stroll following District of North Vancouver council’s Jan. 29 approval of a preliminary plan to pave the park’s gravel trail and turn it into a road.
Council voted 6-1 to potentially rezone the easternmost tip of the park, turning the six-metre wide, 140-metre-long gravel path that juts from the body of the park like an anteater’s snout into a roadway with sidewalks connecting Emery Place with Kirkstone before snaking north to Whiteley Court.
However, two major hurdles need to be cleared before any asphalt hits the ground. Council would need to approve Mosaic’s proposed five-building, 408-unit development at 1200-1250 Emery Place. The parkland removal could also be waylaid if more than 10 per cent of the district’s approximately 59,617 eligible voters object to the plan.
Any district resident who opposed the plan has until 4 p.m. on March 12 to submit an electoral response form to the district’s municipal clerk by mail or email.
Frequent council-watcher Lyle Craver tried to persuade council to put the issue to a referendum, emphasizing the difficulty of mobilizing 10 per cent of the electorate.
“There is not a single local issue, in my opinion, that could possibly rally 6,000-plus,” he said, suggesting council’s vote made the rezoning a “done deal.”
District policy dictates that parks created through a referendum can only have their park status removed by another referendum. Kirkstone was dedicated for park and recreation in a 1999 referendum.
However, the intent of that policy is for large dedications, according to Coun. Mathew Bond.
“(A) referendum is not an efficient or a good tool to be making very specific decisions,” he said. Bond explained he was: “voting against the policy but not the intent of the policy.”
Coun. Lisa Muri concurred, stating she would support a referendum if the rezoning were to: “impact the spirit of the park.” However, the change would enhance Kirkstone, Muri said, arguing the electorate would likely prefer any cash earmarked for a referendum be spent on improving the park instead.
“All we’re doing is changing the name of a piece of road from park to road,” Coun. Robin Hicks agreed.
“The bylaw is sacrosanct,” argued Coun. Doug MacKay-Dunn.
MacKay-Dunn contended council maintain the site’s park designation but add a use to the area.
“That way you can have your cake and you can eat it too,” he said.
MacKay-Dunn cast the only vote against the rezoning, with Coun. Roger Bassam suggesting the change would provide “much better access” to the park.
While Coun. Jim Hanson approved the change, he advised the gallery he’s still “looking very carefully,” at the forthcoming Emery Place proposal.
This article has been amended to clarify that council voted to remove the parkland dedication from the 140-metre strip of Kirkstone Park, not to rezone it.
