Construction of the Multi-Use Path along Grafton Lake will include the addition of a new parking lot.
The municipality entered into a Collaborative Projects Services Agreement with Island Garden Estates, the developer in charge of constructing the Grafton Lake subdivision, for creation of the two elements. The Multi-Use Path (MUP) portion of the agreement stems from the original 2018 rezoning of the lake area, where Island Garden Estates agreed to pay for a portion of the path along Grafton Road ending across from the entrance to the Agricultural Commons.
The idea of a gravel parking lot was suggested by the developer as a way to attract people to the newly established Art Rennison Nature Park, dedicated in 2023 after they transferred 166 acres of land to the municipality under another part of the rezoning conditions.
In September 2023 council referred the proposal to several committees and the Bowen Island Conservancy.
The Advisory Planning Committee, Transportation Advisory Committee, Environment and Climate Action Advisory Committee, and Cove Bay Water System Local Advisory Committee reported back in favour of the staff recommendation of an 11-car gravel parking lot off of Grafton Road. The Parks Trails and Greenways Advisory Committee and Conservancy meanwhile expressed their desire for alternative sites around the lake to be pursued.
During council on Jan. 13 manager of planning Daniel Martin reiterated staff support for the Grafton Road site as the most preferable for the parking lot. He explained the location already has a completed environmental and engineering assessment, and is on flat land owned by the municipality. Five alternative locations – three on Forster Road and one on Harding and Trout Lake Road – all lack such assessments, and posed other difficulties including terrain, land ownership, and conflict with residents.
Much like the committees, council was also split on the parking lot. Coun. Sue Ellen Fast felt the proposed lot conflicted with the mission of the MUP and the park itself. “I think the priority should be on the Greenways corridor for wildlife and seeds and biodiversity connectivity between the areas of Crown land… putting a parking lot in the middle of that is an error in priority of what is a nature reserve,” she said.
“The second disconnect I see is the purpose of the MUP. It has climate reasons and reasons of active transportation to move bicycles and pedestrians. If that’s the priority of the MUP, why would we be putting vehicle infrastructure there instead of bicycle and human infrastructure suitable to a MUP?” added Fast.
Speaking in favour of the parking lot, Coun. John Saunders brought up accessibility concerns with the Nature Park. “My experience with the outdoors is that we want to make it as accessible as we can – I’m certainly happy to walk to Grafton Lake from where I live, but a lot of people can’t.” He says while the MUP will help those travelling to the park without a vehicle, “it doesn’t open up the outdoors to as many people as we possibly could, which is the goal of any park.”
Coun. Tim Wake agreed with prioritizing accessibility, and said the park itself will draw visitors whether there’s a parking lot or not. “I think the impact of this parking lot is being overstated… We want people to use that park and we want them to use it safely.”
“The impact that we’re going to get from parking 11 cars there is not a lot different than the impact we have from five or six cars parking on the shoulder right now… The cars are already coming,” added Wake.
Council approved both parts of the agreement in a 5-2 vote, with Coun. Fast and Judith Gedye opposed. The overall cost of the parking lot will be around $40,000, which will be covered by the developer. The current parking spots along the side of Grafton Road across from the Agricultural Commons will eventually be replaced by the MUP.
