Two Victoria councillors want to revive the debate over Clover Point, suggesting the city undo recent temporary changes that created pedestrian-only space, and expand parking for vehicles over the winter instead.
Charlayne Thornton-Joe and Marianne Alto want city staff to look into what would be needed to restore vehicle access to the entire paved loop until April 1.
The area was partially closed to cars this spring, creating a pedestrian-only space on the west side with picnic tables and reclining chairs. Parking stalls line the east side and a small section of the west side.
Thornton-Joe, one of two councillors who opposed the partial closing in March, said some people are enjoying the changes, but she expects fewer will use the pedestrian space during cold and rainy winter months. “I think there’s just the opportunity for Clover Point to be enjoyed by more during the winter months if we were able to open it until spring,” she said. The motion asks staff to report back to councillors in the new year.
Mayor Lisa Helps called it “poor governance” to bring the idea forward now as it would increase the workload for staff working on several park projects. “Asking staff to revisit parking for the winter means tearing out tables, tearing out chairs, tearing out bollards and undoing some of the work that was just done.
“It doesn’t make any sense to me, so I feel quite frustrated,” she said.
The current design is temporary until long-term planning work can start in 2023, Helps said. As with other parks, there will be extensive public consultation to determine the best long-term plan, she said.
Helps and Thornton-Joe both acknowledged people are divided on the changes, with some strongly opposed to the loss of parking spaces while others have celebrated the car-free space.
Brian Lepine, who lives on Dallas Road across from Clover Point, said the area is well used by both motorists and pedestrians since the changes.
“It’s just nice to be able to see a park that can be used by everybody and is not just one-sided,” he said.
Before the partial closure, there were safety concerns about cars backing up in an area where children played, said Lepine, who witnessed a couple of close calls.
Lepine said drivers also used the loop to race in the middle of the night, often waking up neighbours. Now that the loop is partially closed to vehicles, that no longer happens.
“I can remember many times where there’s you know, three police cars, two ambulances [there] because somebody almost rolled off the end or something,” he said.
Lepine said he’s not opposed to opening the full loop to vehicles over the winter, but the pedestrian-only space should remain during the rest of the year.
The 4.2-hectare park had been closed to vehicles for more than a year for expansion of the Clover Point wastewater pump station by the Capital Regional District.
City staff initially recommended closing the loop to vehicles entirely, but councillors decided on a partial closure after many people expressed concern that they would no longer be able to park and watch storms or enjoy the view.
The changes resulted in a net loss of about 65 parking spaces, with 25 remaining.
regan-elliott@timescolonist.com
