At last month’s board meeting (June 11th), a number of Cadboro Bay residents attended and asked that the board urge Saanich Parks to reconsider the extent of the hard surface roads and pathways planned for the improvement works currently underway. In particular, Elizabeth Borek asked that the intended width of the main path leading down from Sinclair Rd. to the beach be reduced from its intended 5 metres (16.25 ft) to 3.7m (12 ft), as it is at the moment, and that the paved section at the beachfront and other paths also be kept within those parameters.
On June 28th, CBRA Eric Dahli sent a letter to that effect to the Mayor and Council.
On July 7th, Eric Dahli received a reply from Saanich, to the effect that
One of the unanimously supported park functions and elements from the stakeholder consultation was “universal access, barrier-free design”. Project specific funding for the repair/replacement of the accessible pathway and playground was received from the Province in 2012, with the condition that the project be completed by March 2015.
The design for the park renovation is consistent with the intended use as a municipal-wide waterfront park. Guided by consulting geotechnical engineers, the design meets current industry standards and practices for fully accessible pathways and playgrounds. We wish to thank the Association for providing early comments on this matter which Parks staff are currently considering in finalizing the details of the pathways.
On July 9th, Eric Dahli received a followup email from Gary Darrah of Saanich Parks, reassuring that—
Parks design staff will be looking at a variety of design treatments to ensure that the completed paths do not have a “road like” appearance.
Further developments will be advised as they occur.
