Editor:
I must express my disappointment with the Gibsons mayor and town council in their support of the recent MOTT proposal for a “bypass” using Payne Road.
Full disclosure, I do live in Parkland, a community of 80+ homes and my house backs on to Payne Road.
If this “bypass” was built, it would be spitting distance from my backyard so the thought of logging trucks and other vehicle ferry traffic rumbling by is very upsetting.
However this is not primarily a NIMBY concern.
This “bypass” would be a colossal waste of money with very little benefit.
It would only address traffic going to and from the ferry and not the main concern of all on the Coast which is the lack of an alternate route for emergencies in case of a blockage on the highway.
This starts at the Roberts Creek lights on the highway going west as, except for very short blocks, there are alternate roads in the event of this occurrence through Gibsons and Roberts Creek.
I would suggest that all this does is give the appearance of something being done that is less complex than actually resolving the true issues.
It is a cop-out by council as it moves the problem out of Gibsons and the responsibility of the council as Payne Road is the border of the Gibsons/SCRD.
I would also suggest that bypasses have long been the death knell of small town commercial districts all over the country.
Currently the highway goes through the main commercial area of Gibsons and that is likely a boon to businesses along that street.
Cathie Keener, Gibsons
