Editor:
In my travels around Thailand, Japan and Indonesia I’ve seen amazing landscape architecture.
I’d like to make a suggestion for the White Rock ‘hump,’ where the trees were recently cut down. The hillside is a blank canvas. It offers a fantastic opportunity to do something valuable for White Rock.
The concept is to have a talented landscape architect develop a world-class landscape – a combination of local vernacular garden of plants, flowers and artifacts.
The hillside is visible from both the sidewalk up top and the sea wall below. It has a variable slope, including flat areas that would allow access for people to walk into the garden and take advantage of seating and views.
A world-class gardens would attract visitors from Metro Vancouver and Washington State. Visitors would walk from West Beach to East Beach, viewing the gardens and generating revenues for local businesses.
Tourist trolleys like the ones currently used in Vancouver could shuttle visitors from the South Surrey Park-and-Ride near King George Boulevard to White Rock beach. The trolley shuttle could be part of the attraction. South Surrey and White Rock has an interesting history that a trolly driver can relay to visitors. In addition, the drive to White Rock beach is very scenic.
The project could be monetized through charging visitors at the park-and-ride, which would include the trolley ride to the beach. TransLink should be open to utilizing their empty park-and-ride on weekends.
With the right designer and team, there is an amazing opportunity to create something wonderful on the hillside. If executed properly, this project could make White Rock a world-class tourist destination.
David St. James, Surrey
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It boggles the mind that, in this day and age, our city council is considering spending millions on a parking facility that will encourage more cars on the waterfront (‘Hump parking’ memo surprises council, March 11).
Why not spend that $6 million to create a long-term system that is attractive and sustainable – for example, a dedicated zone beside the museum for drivers to drop off their passengers along with chairs and other beach necessities, and then return their cars to a central parking area with a dedicated, free and frequent shuttle service to get back to the beach?
Please give some consideration to alternatives, such as mass transit or a funicular or other means of getting people to the beach without their cars.
Hélène Cameron, White Rock