Dear Editor:
Re: City plan for dock resurfaces, The Record, Feb. 13.
History repeats itself in the Royal City. It is interesting to note the dock facility resurfaced because of a presentation by the Men in Black from Port Metro Vancouver regarding a coal transfer operation in Surrey. Is there some sort of tacit approval implied by council if Port Metro Vancouver would build a dock?
What seemed like a bad idea in the past is still a bad idea in the present. It has been almost a decade, so perhaps Mayor Wayne Wright and councillors Chuck Puchmayr and Lorrie Williams, who were on council at the time, need a reminder of the events from July 14, 2003 - something the Quayside community remembers very clearly.
First, the location of the dock was the only thing in question here, full stop. Zoning bylaw # 6856, 2003, presented to council that evening, affected properties all the way down the boardwalk, Quayside Drive and on the other side of the rail tracks by amending bylaw # 6680, 2001, to allow marinas as a permitted use. Clearly land not even on the river was being rezoned for this purpose. Puchmayr should remember there was no anxiety but anger from owners who were just coming out of the leaky condo mess. Coun. Puchmayr, no misinformation "buzzing around the community" occurred. The city proposed this dock in the wrong location in front of private property on the city owned esplanade. Let's remember on June 28, 2003 in The Record, Wright said, "it's important to get the project off the ground this summer. Noting that, in future, it will help the city get the tall ships." Additionally, the July 12 edition states, "Councillors and staff have already suggested that, in future, extensions could be added to the dock to accommodate festivals such as the tall ships."
When the bylaw was voted down by council that night, they moved to start a public process in September, something that was never done, and the $75,000 offer expired by April 2004. There was information that owners of the hotel at that time offered the location currently being used by the paddlewheeler boat for this new dock.
The current dock was and is in serious need of repair. This would have been an excellent linear dock location, complete with gates and ramps left over from the old marina that silted in due to its proximity to the shoreline. Perfect for a 30-metre dock and a much needed amenity.
Mayor Wright - if the $100,000 investment that Port Metro Vancouver suggests it would make stands alone for a small dock that can be located in areas other than in front of homes, then move forward. I think you will find enormous support for this option from the entire community. In the meantime, try to avoid repeating history by making the same mistake as last time.
James Crosty, New Westminster
