Four project proposals for Pender Harbour parks will be moving forward to the 2022 budget process, after a presentation to the Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD).
The Pender Harbour & Area Residents Association (PHARA) will also be encouraged to continue to gather community input on the proposals – and they’ve already received some disagreement in the form of a letter included in the June 17 meeting’s agenda.
At the June 17 planning and community development committee meeting, PHARA president Peter Robson appeared as a delegate to present the group’s suggestions to make upgrades to Dan Bosch Park by doubling the parking, replacing the outhouses, expanding the beach area and water access, and adding a boat launch.
Currently, when parking is full, people will park along the side of the highway in an 80 km/h zone, according to his presentation.
“It’s both illegal and dangerous to do so,” he said.
This project could qualify for Gas Tax funding, and Robson asked for staff time to manage the project and help with paperwork to obtain funding. Anticipated costs are $129,040 for phase one, $69,241 for phase two and $64,036 for phase three, plus GST.
The other three projects Robson proposed include creating a loop trail around Katherine Lake, the only lake in Area A where a loop trail is possible since it is the only lake not surrounded by a road or private property. This project comes with an estimated cost of $116,000.
Creating wayfinding and beach access signs for at least six locations in the Pender Harbour area is another proposal. The lack of signage in the area is “the biggest drawback to tourism in our area,” Robson said.
The fourth project would develop an active transportation path along a portion of Garden Bay Road, an area that connects Hospital Bay and Garden Bay Lake but does not have a safe path for pedestrians alongside a winding section of the highway.
In his presentation, Robson said the four projects have the support of PHARA, the Pender Harbour Rotary Club and the Pender Harbour Chamber of Commerce.
But one of the projects already faces some objections. Andrew McFadyen, the president of the Ruby Lake Landholders Association, wrote a letter to the SCRD raising issue with phase two of the proposal for Dan Bosch Park.
While the letter says the landholders association is supportive of expanded parking for safety reasons, they are opposed to additional expansion of park amenities, the beach area, picnic area and the addition of a new boat launch area.
“The SCRD has failed to provide adequate oversight and enforcement of the park, and left the Ruby Lake community to suffer with misuse of the park, and deal with illegal campers, dangerous campfires, noise, and belligerent park abusers,” the letter states.
McFayden also cites concerns that increased amenities will create more of a demand for parking as well as increased use, and that Ruby Lake is a drinking water source for local residents. The association asks for a park management plan that includes water quality testing at Dan Bosch Park, and for public consultation on the project.
When asked to prioritize the projects at the SCRD meeting, Robson said they hoped to improve the parking at Dan Bosch Park before this summer, with other phases the following year or in a few years. He identified the transportation path as a second priority, followed by Katherine Lake trail and the wayfinding signs.
The SCRD directors voted to allow staff to work with PHARA to establish the project authorization requirements, costs associated with planning, development and maintenance and to establish time estimates. The projects can then be considered as part of the 2022 annual budget process.
