District of North Vancouver plans on creating a shared street space on lower Gallant Avenue between Panorama Drive and Banbury Road in Deep Cove.
The Livable Deep Cove Covid Resilience project proposed an open, flexible, public space that allows for social distancing and safe outdoor socializing, according to a staff report to council.
The project will be discussed at a council meeting on January 11.
According to the report, the new space will create extra seating in the summer, intermittent full closures for festivals and markets, and increased parking space in the winter.
The proposal includes new paving and street lighting, and underground soil cells to mitigate peak storm flow and promote tree health, landscaping, and removable bollards.
The total project cost will cost approximately $4 million, and DNV plans to submit an application to a federal program to fund this project.
The project builds on earlier changes to create more space for social distancing this year.
In response to COVID-19, and to address overcrowding and queueing on the lower Gallant sidewalk, DNV closed the eastbound parking lane in May.
Despite this, crowding continued and in August, DNV closed the eastbound vehicle lane to provide yet more space and tables for free public use.
The space has and continues to be very well used, according to report.
“Public feedback from a nine week on-line survey between August and October indicates nearly 80% of respondents are in favour of the pedestrian area and 70% feel it should be made permanent,” according to the report.
John Lawless says
Please note, part of this plan includes a one way road cut down from Deep Cove Rd at a steep grade through an existing mature forest with an active bird and bat population. Many many mature trees will be cut. All traffic going east into Deep Cove Village will be directed down this new route.
The traffic will be dumped onto the top of Naughton Ave in front of the Lions Manor for seniors.
The existing 2 lane cul de sac will be turned into a 3 lane high traffic area.
As of early December no engineering or geo-technical studies where available hence no costing is available.
The existing parking in front of Lions Manor will be removed meaning less parking overall. The row of mature maples in front of The Lions Manor will likely be affected as well.
It is not clear what is the benefit of paying for a one way roadway and the destruction of an otherwise healthy forest.
Presently traffic circulation is not the problem. Parking is the problem and this plan will decrease parking as well as destroy the forest and the safe peaceful neighborhood around Naughton. This includes Little Panorama, Eastleigh, and Burns and Banbury.
Naughton is now a peaceful residents only area used by esident families, seniors and children and pedestrians coming down to the sea. Directing all traffic off Deep Cove Rd into this quiet neighborhood will be permanently destructive and entirely unwarranted. Traffic is now effectively controlled at the busy corner stoplight in the Village center. A one way expressway will be expensive and serve no purpose other than to remove parking spaces and direct fast movig traffic into a quiet cul-de-sac and thereby destroying it. It is not clear for what purpose or at what cost. Construction is expected to start in February despite DNV being completely opaque about design, engineering, construction and overall cost and the massive effect it will have on the neighborhood and the taxpayer.
David says
Sounds great!
I wonder how people will get here.
The Deep Cove experience currently in the summer consists of circling around and looking for parking. The closer to the beach the better.
As part of this project I ask for a plan to keep traffic out of the cove, which will make it more enjoyable for visitors and locals alike.
In that light it seems to head in the wrong direction, to add more roads to deep cove.
Better public transport, a shuttle bus, live parking updates with early redirection of traffic to alternative
parking may be some ideas to consider.
Cheers
David
Zo Ann says
Thank you for your comments John. Green infrastucture loses it greenness when mature trees are removed and replaced with asphalt or concrete.
John Lawless says
A very important issue is that the project has been given the go ahead without anyone including DNV having developed a design, engineering and hence budget. No one knows what this will cost or how it will be built. There is a very interesting story here about how decisions are made and how taxpayers are involved or ignored in city planning decisions.
Mark Doucette says
One of the reasons we recently moved from the heart of Deep Cove to the island after many many years was the craziness in the cove, the parade of cars looking for parking and the occasional yelling match on the street. We would actually escape weekends on our boat to avoid it.
Its not just Deep Cove, its any trail, park or mountain so the problem is not really isolated to Deep Cove. To look at the bigger problem which is parking and traffic at any of these areas my suggestion would be free shuttles.
I would suggest the District approach the landowners around the Canadian superstore for developing mass parking where free shuttle buses would dispatch. Once in place Deep Cove should be closed to traffic much like many European towns. As for the $4 million dollar project, that would go a long way in leasing / building central parking for all these areas and providing free shuttle service.
Margie Goodman says
The lack of Communication with property owners is appalling I do not support this plan. This will destroy the cove I have lived here for 40 years as a resident and an owner of commercial property on gallant I am shocked
Margie goodman says
Ian not happy with this plan lack of communication again by district I own commercial property on gallant this needs more input
John Lawless says
Hi Margie – if you haven’t already please join the Deep Cove Neighbours gang at https://www.facebook.com/groups/2701590486576544
We are particularly interested in the opinions of local merchants and business interests.