The City of Surrey approved railway safety fencing in Crescent Beach at a recent council meeting, but one local resident says it will result in the loss of nearly 150 parking spots.
At a Feb. 10 meeting, council approved a recommendation to direct staff to proceed with railway safety fencing in Crescent Beach up to an approved project budget of $450,000, with a corporate report estimating a reduction of 50 to 60 parking spaces on Bayview Street, and the loss of another seven to 15 parking spaces on Maple Street. Most of the Bayview spots are unauthorized spaces on Burlington Northern Santa Fe property, the report noted.
"It's unbelievable. What they're talking about as to loss of parking spots isn't even close to reality," said Don Pitcairn, a longtime area resident, after the meeting.
Railway fencing for safety purposes is a topic the city has been in dialogue with BNSF and Transport Canada with since 2008, the report said, in regards to discouraging unauthorized access, as well as the potential for whistle cessation at the Beecher Street and McBride Avenue road crossings
Initially, the city anticipated the fence would be located on BNSF property, close to the railway, but after several years of negotiations, the city and BNSF could not reach an agreement as BNSF was seeking the city to indemnify them and accept all liability in addition to seeking annual lease payments for the fence. As a result, the location of the fence is proposed to be at the edge of the road allowance, immediately adjacent to BNSF property, along Bayview Street and Maple Street, the corporate report continued.
After engaging the local community in 2023, feedback from the community was divided, with 45 per cent of 156 respondents supportive of the proposed fence and 55 per cent opposed, according to the report.
Following direction from council, a subsequent round of public consultation was undertaken in May/June 2024 covering the same area previously consulted. A total of 560 addresses were invited to respond to a new survey, which contained additional information and renderings of the fence project. Eventually, 329 surveys were completed and support for the project rose to 61 per cent in support, with opposition at 39 per cent.
The city has federal funding to invest towards fencing at critical unauthorized access locations, and the proposed fencing will move the city one step closer to achieving whistle cessation once unauthorized access is mitigated, the corporate report concluded.
Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke questioned whether the new fence would be monitored, and the lack of a pedestrian walkway along the street, with staff responding the intent is to get the fencing installed by the end of spring, with the option of potentially banning street parking in lieu of a walkway.
Pitcairn said the fence, if built as council approved, will result in the loss of 145 parking spaces in the area.
"On Bayview (Street), there are a total of 40 parking spots, and there is 275 metres where people can park cars and have been parking cars, so if you add all that, it's 80 (spots), and that's only on the west side of Bayview," he said, explaining he went out and measured seven metres per parking spot. "There's also the east side of Bayview — there's another 25 spots on the east side of Bayview that will all become no parking because there won't be room for anyone to park anywhere down there, because they need room for ambulances and fire trucks to get through. So the total for Bayview is 105 parking spots, gone."
He said another 40 parking spots will be lost on Maple Street, at the end of the roadway, near Crescent Rock Beach.
"So the total for everything is actually 145 spots ... that's a heck of a lot, especially for the south end of Crescent Beach," said Pitcairn, who also questioned pedestrian safety.
"Right now, (the plan) shows people are going to be in danger of vehicles ... if you look at (artist renderings) driving through there, there's not even enough room for two cars, let alone people walking down the road."
