From: "Maureen Dale" To: "Alice Finall"

Transcription

1 From: "" To: "Alice Finall" Cc: "''" >, "Heather Gartshore" "'Gary Zilkie'" >, "Anne Berry" "Rob Buchan" Subject: Parking Issue on Carmanah Terrace Dear Mayor and Council; I am the President of the Friends of John Dean Provincial Park. The Friends, a volunteer group established in 1984, collaborates with BC Parks to preserve, protect, and maintain the park. As described in my letter to Councillor Gartshore dated February 15, 2016, there have been parking issues on Dean Park Road and Carmanah Terrace associated with visitors to the park when the main gate is closed from November to March 15 each year. In our letter attached, the Friends ask that providing public access to the lower Dunsmuir parking lot be included in negotiations with the new owner of the Dunsmuir property. We look forward to an update once discussions with the new owner have completed. Thank you in advance for looking into this for us. Providing access to the parking lot would go a long way toward bringing peace to the residents on both Carmanah Terrace and Dean Park Road. President Friends of John Dean Park

2 Friends of John Dean Park Society t f. 0;:. ' Dean Park Road North Saanich, BC V8L 5E5 ( ) Mayor Alice Finall & Council District of North Saanich 1620 Mills Road North Saanich, BC V8L 5S9 March 28, 2016 Dear Mayor and Council: Re: Parking Issue on Carmanah Terrace I am the President of the Friends of John Dean Provincial Park. The Friends, a volunteer group established in 1984, collaborates with BC Parks to preserve, protect, and maintain the park. As described in my letter to Councillor Gartshore dated February 15, 2016, there have been parking issues on Dean Park Road and Carmanah Terrace associated with visitors to the park. Now that the sale of the Dunsmuir property is underway, the Friends ask that providing public access to the lower Dunsmuir parking lot be included in negotiations with the new owner. Visitors to the park have used the lower parking lot for over 30 years without incident. In 2009, when the University of Victoria closed access to Dunsmuir Lodge, they also closed access to the parking lot; causing visitors to park on Carmanah Terrace and Dean Park Road. Reinstating access to the lower parking lot would go a long way toward resolving the parking issues on these streets when the main gate is closed from November 1st to March 15th each year. Residents of Victoria and the Saanich Peninsula are fortunate to have such a beautiful park a short drive away. Designated a park in 1921, John Dean Provincial Park is the third oldest park in BC, and was the first park created from the generous donations of citizens to be used as parkland in perpetuity. It includes the highest point on LauWelNew I Mount Newton and comprises over 173 hectares. It has over 10 km of hiking trails that pass through marshes, sunny meadows and deep shade, and provide access to scenic vistas. It contains the last stand of old growth forest on the Sannich Peninsula and is home to over 145 different species of wild flowers, over 300 different species of fungi, over 165 different species of plants and over 40 different species of birds. A better solution for visitor parking is needed. Your assistance in this matter would be greatly appreciated. Y( IJ&- Sincerely, President, Friends of John Dean Park Society

3 Friends of John Dean Park Society r. :1 1r 1547 Dean Park Road North Saanich, BC V8L 5E5 Councilor Heather Gartshore 1620 Mills Road North Saanich, BC V8L 5S9 February 15, 2016 Dear Councilor Gartshore: Re: Parking Issue on Carmanah Terrace Recently you discussed the parking issue on Carmanah Terrace with Bryce Kendrick, a member of the Board of Directors for the Friends of John Dean Park. An outcome of the discussion was that you asked the Friends to provide you with the history of the issue as we understand it. This letter is in response to that request. The main gate to John Dean Provincial Park is closed from November 1 to March 15 every year. That means visitors to the park are parking on the residential streets adjacent to the entrances. Note that there are four entrances: the main gate, Carmanah Terrace, Alex Road and Thomson Place; all with limited parking for visitors. History of the winter closure As you know, John Dean Provincial Park was designated a park in In 1991, the main gate was installed with a nightly closure in an attempt to reduce vandalism. Then, in 1998, BC Parks decided to close the park during the winter (from November 1 to March 15 each year). This allowed them to reduce their sanding and salting budget and was an attempt to reduce vandalism during the winter months when there were fewer visitors. There may also have been a consideration that guard rails would be required on certain sections of the road to prevent accidents when the road becomes slippery with wet leaves, snow or ice. The Friends supported the gate installation and its summer night and winter closures. Last fall, BC Parks and the Friends approached the University of Victoria to request access to the Dunsmuir parking lot during the winter closure. The University declined; citing liability concerns. Why is there a problem now? Until 2009, visitors to the park during the winter when the gate is closed, parked in the Dunsmuir parking lot. When the University of Victoria, the owners of Dunsmuir Lodge and its property, closed access to the Lodge, they also closed access to the parking lot; causing visitors to park on Carmanah Terrace.

4 21Page Why are some of the residents upset? Many reasons: Some parked cars have destroyed sprinkler heads, tom up lawns, crushed plants in flowerbeds, or crowded driveways may have been a unique year for damage since the park was closed for most of July and August due to extreme fire hazard conditions. Recent developments In late October 2015, new street signs (shown on the right) were posted at both ends of Carmanah Terrace directing visitors to use the parking lot in the park. Not too helpful as the park gate closed within 10 days of the signs being installed. As well, it is my experience that visitors do use the park parking lots when the gate is open and street parking is not an issue. Immediately, handwritten signs (see attachment) were posted on the trails in the park stating that the District of North Saanich, in consultation with the executive of the Dean Park Estates Association, approved and installed the signs. PLEASE RE PECT THIS RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBOURHOOD WHEN USING THE TRAILS, PLEASE PARK IN THE PARKING LOTS IN THE PARK I have not verified the material in this handwritten sign. However, I can confirm that if the District of North Saanich and Dean Park Estates Association did approve the signs, it was without consultation with those most affected by the issue. I was not consulted and I live beside the main gate, am a member of Dean Park Estates Association and am President of the Friends of John Dean Park. I should have been consulted based on any one of these capacities, but was not. Questions I Actions to be addressed This situation presents several troubling items that require investigation: 1. Why would these signs be posted without consultation? Since all taxpayers contribute to the costs of building, maintaining and policing residential streets, there is no reason for some residents to have exclusive access to the street and prevent street parking. 2. What is meant by the last line in the hand written sign "Ron Maylen said these [new street] signs are a preferred first step? What is Ron considering as a second step? If he is considering a bylaw, then this bylaw must permit two-hour parking for anyone during the day, subject to enforcement. 3. How could a few citizens be able to prevent others from using the street? The park and its walking trails were there long before the subdivision was developed, so it should have been no surprise to residents buying in the area, especially on Carmanah Terrace, that hikers would be parking and walking on the street. Many hikers enter the park directly from the subdivision and surrounding areas without requiring the use of a car to get there. 4. What can be done to improve the parking situation during the winter closure? Ideally, the developer of Dean Park Estates should have been required to leave space for a parking lot. Unfortunately, that didn't happen. Investigation should be undertaken to determine what can be done to address the winter parking issue. For example, could BC

5 31Page Parks, North Saanich, Sidney, Central Saanich and the CRD collaborate and purchase the lower parking lot from the Dunsmuir property? Is there some way that public parking could be accommodated as part of the sale of the Dunsmuir property when that sale goes ahead? Is there some way that the lower Dunsmuir parking lot could be opened to the public while the sale is pending? As well, a review should be conducted on the existing no parking signs on Carmanah Terrace, in particular the west side of Carmanah Terrace near the park's main gate. This area can accommodate 6 to 10 cars and was marked as a no parking zone several years ago, again without any consultation. Residents of Victoria and the Saanich Peninsula are blessed to have such a beautiful park so close by. John Dean Provincial Park is the third oldest park in BC and was the first park created from the generous donations of citizens to be used as parkland in perpetuity. It includes the highest point on LeuWelNew I Mount Newton and comprises over 173 hectares. It has over 10 km of hiking trails that pass through marshes, sunny meadows and deep shade and provide access to scenic vistas. It contains the last stand of old growth forest on the Sannich Peninsula and is home to over 145 different species of wild flowers, some of which are rare, over 300 different species of fungi, some of which are also rare, over 165 different species of plants and over 40 different species of birds. It's very unfortunate that it doesn't have a better solution for visitor parking. Your assistance in this matter would be greatly appreciated. Sincerely, President, Friends of John Dean Park Society ( )