The City of White Rock will shell out $40,000 to create a loading zone on Johnston Road for residents of the Miramar Tower B, council decided Monday.
But the politicians were none-too-pleased with the decision.
Council voted 5-1 in favour of spending the money, to address “an intolerable situation” created by moving trucks blocking the city’s main road. It also keeps a promise that was made to the building’s strata council by a former city manager.
The previous CAO “agreed to fix this problem,” Greg St. Louis, the city’s director of engineering and municipal operations, told council, in recommending staff be directed to reduce the width of the centre median in front of 1473 Johnston Rd. by 2½ feet to accommodate the zone.
Coun. Helen Fathers cast the sole opposing vote (Coun. Louise Hutchinson was absent), arguing residents shouldn’t be on the hook.
“I don’t think it should be coming out of our taxpayers’ pockets,” she said.
In a report to council, St. Louis notes the city and the strata council have been trying for “several years” to resolve the lack of a loading zone for the 96-unit tower’s residents. It is one of two towers constructed by Bosa Properties Inc., and among four that were initially proposed.
In November 2010, three options were identified: narrow the median in front of the building by 2½ feet; take 2½ feet off of a 66-foot stretch of the sidewalk; or provide a loading zone at the rear of the building.
The first two options both eliminate three parking spaces on Johnston; the second would also result in a loss of the sidewalks’ esthetics – a move Coun. Grant Meyer said he would not support. A rear loading zone is “not practical,” St. Louis said, citing the distance residents would have to walk to the elevators.
Mayor Wayne Baldwin noted that the issue would not exist if the Miramar Village project had proceeded as planned, and the final two towers been built. They were approved in 2007 with a projected completion date of 2010.
Coun. Al Campbell noted it has been more than a year since the city has received any indication from Bosa Properties’ officials of when – or if – they might see some action on Phase 2.
“For some reason, they just left us, and now here we are putting out $40,000 of our money.”
Wednesday, Bosa’s vice-president of sales and marketing Daryl Simpson told Peace Arch News no one at the city has asked for an update regarding Phase 2. It is “absolutely not” off the table, he said, it’s just “not viable at the moment. Company officials… were hopeful it was going to get underway this spring.”
Simpson said retail and residential markets need to improve before the towers can proceed.
“As soon as the market conditions allow us to… we’re going to be back,” he said.
“We would really like to see it as a development site, not a mall that we overpaid for.”
While Campbell suggested Monday that the city back-charge Bosa for the cost of the loading-zone work, director of development services Paul Stanton said the developer did nothing wrong. Bylaws in place at the time did not require loading space be included. Bylaw 2000, which council passed later Monday night, does.
Coun. Larry Robinson described the fix as “a $40,000 lesson in how to deal with developers.”
“We were inexperienced and this is the bill we’re going to pay for inexperience.”
Council approved funding the cost with $24,000 from the current budget and the balance from a capital reserve. The work is hoped to be completed by June 1.