District of West Vancouver staff will seek council approval at a council meeting today to install a permanent fence around the Great Lawn at the recreation centre on Marine Drive in West Vancouver.
The project will cost $45,000.
In a report to the council, staff said residents have expressed concerns that children playing on the lawn are at risk from Marine Drive traffic, adding that lawn has seen a ‘significant’ increase in use over the past few years.
“The need to keep the community, especially children, safe is paramount and the fence is required to prevent children from running on to Marine Drive,” according to the staff report.
This May, the district installed a temporary safety fence along the south side of the lawn, and it will remain in place until a permanent fence is installed.
The district conducted survey of residents asking them about funding the fencing project from the Community Amenity Contributions. The district received 184 responses, out of which 39.7 per cent supported the fencing project, while 46.6 per cent opposed spending money on fencing. As many as 13.7 per cent of people had no opinion on the issue.
In subsequent community consultations, however, there was a strong support in favour of installing a permanent fence around the lawn. District conducted a public survey and an open house and sought feedback from West Vancouver youth on fencing the lawn.
The survey gave two options: A permanent fence or a plants, shrubs, or hedges to create a barrier between the lawn and Marine Drive. Of the 509 responses the district received, 63.3 per cent were in support of the fence.
Considering all the feedback, staff is recommending that district install a permanent fence around the lawn and is seeking council approval for $45,000 funding from Community Amenity Contribution.
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