West Van council votes to close popular Altamont beach access to sell property

Residents who live near West Vancouver’s Altamont Beach say they’re dismayed that the municipality is closing one of their most-loved beach accesses in order to sell the property with a neighbouring lot, potentially adding $1 million to district coffers.

Members of council voted Monday, July 22, to close the popular beach path at the foot of 30th Street, in order to add the land to a district-owned property at 3000 Park Lane, which the municipality wants to sell.

Mayor Mark Sager said the district needs the cash to buy the last house on the Ambleside waterfront next to the Ferry Building and make that area public.

“That’s a community goal that’s existed for 40 years and we need the funds to be able to purchase that house,” said Sager.

He added there will be “tens of thousands” of people who will enjoy the Ambleside access, compared to the Altamont beach path.

Sager added there are alternate beach access points within 200 metres that the public can use to get to Altamont beach.

But people who live in the neighbourhood didn’t see it that way.

Lawrence Roulston who lives on 30th Street above Marine Drive asked council not to close the beach path.

“This is not the closure of an unused road. This is a well-trodden path, a trail that provides a link between a West Vancouver community and the waterfront. I’ve been using that trail for more than 40 years. My children have used that trail since they were small, and they continue to use that trail as teenagers,” he said.

Roulston told council the cost of preserving the trail is “insignificant” in relation to the amount of money West Vancouver spends on preserving waterfront access.

Neighbour Jane Srivastava also urged council to keep the beach access open.

“Once you sell it, it’s gone forever,” she said.

Peter Miller also wrote a letter urging that the access stay open.

Miller said the access is a little hidden gem, and is a special spot enjoyed by local residents.

“The principle is this has been here allowing the public and residents access to waterfront for years and the idea that it should be closed to expand the adjacent lot to increase its value for development is just wrong,” he told the North Shore News.

A previous access point at the foot of 29th street was closed in 2013 following storm damage.

Another access point also exists at the foot of 31st Street nearby.

Council members said they were sympathetic to the neighbours’ desire to keep the beach access, but said acquiring the Ambleside property was a greater good for the community.

Coun. Christine Cassidy was the lone councillor opposed.

“I do not feel that we have the right to withdraw from the public their access to the foreshore, their access to public land,” she said, adding the other beach accesses were a very different experience than the one being closed.

Sager said nobody was thrilled about the decision but said the money was needed to buy the Ambleside property and without it, that deal wouldn’t go through.

Council voted 5-1 to go ahead with the beach closure, with Coun. Cassidy opposed.

Council is set to vote on whether to investigate repairing the 29th Street beach access at a council meeting July 29.