Relief may be on the way for the parking woes in Deep Cove that pit neighbours and visitors against each other in fierce competition for limited spots.
The problem has been a headache for the District of North Vancouver, especially in the summertime.
“The difference between winter and summer there is astonishing and the situation in summer has become unbearable for the residents and unsafe,” said Tegan Smith, transportation planner for the district.
The district has hired the Simon Fraser University Centre for Dialogue to help find a made-in-Deep Cove solution. Stakeholders representing interests in the area are being invited for a one-day session to lay out both their concerns and ideas for solutions.
“If we just waltzed into Deep Cove and said “Ta-dah! Here’s what we think should happen,’ it wasn’t going to fly because there are so many interests involved here and no matter what you do, it has a knock-on effect for someone else,” said Mairi Welman, district spokeswoman.
On the invite list are residents of Deep Cove and its outskirts as well as Indian Arm and Belcarra homeowners with boat-only access, business operators and non-profits in Deep Cove, recreational user groups like hikers, mountain bikers and paddlers, yacht club members, First Nations, tourism groups and organizers of special events in the area.
At least twelve of the 100 seats have been reserved for people under the age of 24, Welman added. The event itself runs Saturday, Feb. 21 from 10 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. at the Seycove Secondary school cafeteria.
Attendees will be expected to come to the meeting knowledgeable on the issue and process, from a package the district will provide to accepted applicants.
The goal is to find the overlap in workable solutions and compile them into a report for district council to consider this spring. That will give council enough time to plan and find financing for at least some ideas to be put in action for this summer. Exactly what that might look like though, is anyone’s guess.
“The vision is really to retain that local character and not make any changes to the identity and character of the village,” Smith said. “I can’t really say what solutions are going to be on the table and off the table.”
Applications to be a part of the discussion can be found at dnv.org/DeepCove.
