WTF PAY PARKING !!? The War against Tofino Residents, Tourism, Cars & Common Sense continues in 2016.
Bob MacPherson, CAO, delivered a presentation regarding the general and Tofino-specific contexts for parking policy development. (Committee of the Whole - 25 Jan)
Moved and Seconded by Councillors Baert / Blanchette THAT Council consider authorizing reintroduction user-pay parking at the municipal hall lots and at Tonquin Park Road; AND THAT Council authorize staff to bring forward necessary agreements and bylaw amendments. -CARRIED
The chains and 4 x 4's will be coming back out. Too bad if Baert and Thicke don't want people parking by their driveways, this isn't going to fly. It'll be interesting to see the direction that the civil disobedience and vandalism takes this time.
Is Councillor Thicke not in a conflict of interest situation on the pay parking? There is a long and documented history of her and her husband wanting to shut down the Tonquin parking so they can live their elite lives. Is she making decisions in the best interest of the community, or in her best interest. I question her goals in this matter. And pay parking failed miserably. We're already known as a price gouging community, that can't treat it's sewage, surf capital of Canada. Focus people, focus. Next election can't come soon enough.
The argument for Pay parking in the district lots was observations made by the CAO of it being used quite often for vehicle and trailer storage rather than for use of the visitors to the town. He admitted to parking in that lot and that he planned to make alternative transportation plans, ie bicycle or walk or carpool to work. The rates being suggested were not onerous to anybody.
As for Tonquin, I am sure the residents would love there to be no parking however parking is allowed and something needs to be done.
The status quo will not be good enough once the trail to Middle beach is completed. People need to be directed to the community hall and the longer walk to the beach and trail system. The 'plan' which has not been developed fully would have a sign at First and Arnet pointing to free parking at the community hall and pay parking at the Tonquin lot.
The issues at Tonquin are simply the overuse of the area by the vast numbers of people in a small beach space.
In an earlier meeting before council the request was made during a presentation on the issues of Tonquin that the Tonquin islet be roped off by public works to allow it to recover from all the foot traffic. That has not been done yet. Other plans in the works include glorified pump out pit toilets for Tonquin.
No I don't like pay parking at Tonquin but could you please come up with a better idea rather than just using Ralph's blog as a point of protest?
I suggested the idea of speed bumps on Tonquin Park road approaching the parking area. The idea was noted. During the summer, with cars everywhere and up along the road, you can be at great risk being a pedestrian in the area and it seriously is an accident waiting to happen.
If you have not been there on a sunny summer afternoon, visualize the parking along Chesterman Beach, both sides filled with parking and cars often moving at 70kph.
Something needs to be done for remember the trail to Middle Beach is coming soon. If the small Tonquin lot becomes filled by trail users not even using the beach, you won't have any access to Tonquin beach parking.
As for complaints about Councillor Thicke, remember she is the one council member who has spearheaded the development and extension of the trail to Middle Beach. Without her, there would be no trail.
It's all Ralph's fault! If not for this blog, there wouldn't be any opposition to council's plans, and we could all just drink out kool-aid and enjoy the wonderful festivities set up for us by the festival co-ordinator and the dept. of sustainability. How dare you people have an opinion contrary to what council has arranged for you. Ungrateful rabble, I call you.
Oh God, surfing, Don't get 'em going on sewer, water, streets, or anything that requires knowledge and common sense...... it'll cost a fortune in consulting fees, and result in months of overtime pay for "staff". Let 'em finish out their terms having festivals and sending out letters of support, and maybe we'll do better next time. Not likely, but there's always the solution that most of the other long time residents of the town have already used..... move away.
Once again the dysfunction of this community raises its political head uninvited. just in time to divert attention and energy from the Council doing anything that really matters such as a focused effort on realizing a sewage treatment plant of some kind or another, the proliferation of totally unregulated air B&Bs, I could go on.........
8.43 Really? The Lighthouse Trail was well on its way before Councillor Thicke got hold of it. Great for her property values I guess. No, pretty sure this is self serving, not hearing anything from other Tonquin residents...
11:14 you don't know squat about the trail development. Thicke has pushed it through and this year to Middle Beach. I would not call bringing more people to the entrance to your driveway, plugging the area so residents can't get out or emergency vehicles get in self serving.
It has reached a point that the area and the tiny beach is becoming overwhelmed by sheer numbers of people.
11.12 The committee minutes clearly show that Councillor Stephen Ashton spearheaded this committee and got the trail started. Councillor Thicke was not part of the committee at that time.
12:46 it is one thing to get the trail through district property and another to get the province and the local First Nations to sign off on having the trail go through provincially owned land subject to treaty negotiation ownership questions. The first part of the trail was easy. Without Thicke the trail would not be happening. It took years of negotiating. I also suspect you would not have voted for a washroom facility at Tonquin that was a portapotti located at the end of your driveway.
I don't like the idea of pay parking but when I hear from visitors right now that they don't come here in the summer time because they cannot find parking should we keep the status quo? Vehicles storage parked in the district lot instead of having a turnover of parking allowing for more visitors to town. That impacts every business in town. Just this morning I witnessed a couple of visitors who walked the Tonquin trail to 3rd beach had parked at the Tonquin lot. I was on the trail at the same time and had seen them at 3rd in case you were wondering if I asked them. I saw them get changed at the trunk of their car out of their gum boots and into hiking shoes. They then left their car in the Tonquin parking lot and headed off up Tonquin Park Rd with their map to further explore the area. If you want to increase parking access to Tonquin this parking meter idea would quickly change many people's parking behaviour. There was no need of their parking at the Tonquin parking area when all they wanted to do was walk the trails. The free parking to be offered at the community hall would have been perfect for them and what they wanted to do. In fact, it would have been better for their outdoor recreation plans today had they known and used the Community Hall parking. There's even the simple restroom facility there.
@4:15 Pay Parking doesn't benefit any business They could've installed signage on the District parking lot to prevent vehicle storage. What else did you expect when they leave the parking lots as a free for all mess without any signage ?
There will be no parking meters on Tonquin, just signage
16 comments:
WTF PAY PARKING !!?
The War against Tofino Residents, Tourism, Cars & Common Sense continues in 2016.
Bob MacPherson, CAO, delivered a presentation regarding the general and Tofino-specific contexts for parking policy development. (Committee of the Whole - 25 Jan)
Moved and Seconded by Councillors Baert / Blanchette
THAT Council consider authorizing reintroduction user-pay parking at the municipal hall lots and at Tonquin Park Road;
AND THAT Council authorize staff to bring forward necessary agreements and bylaw amendments.
-CARRIED
The chains and 4 x 4's will be coming back out. Too bad if Baert and Thicke don't want people parking by their driveways, this isn't going to fly. It'll be interesting to see the direction that the civil disobedience and vandalism takes this time.
Is Councillor Thicke not in a conflict of interest situation on the pay parking? There is a long and documented history of her and her husband wanting to shut down the Tonquin parking so they can live their elite lives. Is she making decisions in the best interest of the community, or in her best interest. I question her goals in this matter. And pay parking failed miserably. We're already known as a price gouging community, that can't treat it's sewage, surf capital of Canada. Focus people, focus. Next election can't come soon enough.
I attended the meeting where this was discussed.
The argument for Pay parking in the district lots was observations made by the CAO of it being used quite often for vehicle and trailer storage rather than for use of the visitors to the town. He admitted to parking in that lot and that he planned to make alternative transportation plans, ie bicycle or walk or carpool to work. The rates being suggested were not onerous to anybody.
As for Tonquin, I am sure the residents would love there to be no parking however parking is allowed and something needs to be done.
The status quo will not be good enough once the trail to Middle beach is completed. People need to be directed to the community hall and the longer walk to the beach and trail system. The 'plan' which has not been developed fully would have a sign at First and Arnet pointing to free parking at the community hall and pay parking at the Tonquin lot.
The issues at Tonquin are simply the overuse of the area by the vast numbers of people in a small beach space.
In an earlier meeting before council the request was made during a presentation on the issues of Tonquin that the Tonquin islet be roped off by public works to allow it to recover from all the foot traffic. That has not been done yet. Other plans in the works include glorified pump out pit toilets for Tonquin.
No I don't like pay parking at Tonquin but could you please come up with a better idea rather than just using Ralph's blog as a point of protest?
I suggested the idea of speed bumps on Tonquin Park road approaching the parking area. The idea was noted. During the summer, with cars everywhere and up along the road, you can be at great risk being a pedestrian in the area and it seriously is an accident waiting to happen.
If you have not been there on a sunny summer afternoon, visualize the parking along Chesterman Beach, both sides filled with parking and cars often moving at 70kph.
Something needs to be done for remember the trail to Middle Beach is coming soon. If the small Tonquin lot becomes filled by trail users not even using the beach, you won't have any access to Tonquin beach parking.
As for complaints about Councillor Thicke, remember she is the one council member who has spearheaded the development and extension of the trail to Middle Beach. Without her, there would be no trail.
It's all Ralph's fault! If not for this blog, there wouldn't be any opposition to council's plans, and we could all just drink out kool-aid and enjoy the wonderful festivities set up for us by the festival co-ordinator and the dept. of sustainability.
How dare you people have an opinion contrary to what council has arranged for you. Ungrateful rabble, I call you.
Really parking... Hows the sewer plant going. Hows the summer water supply. Is the resevoir still leaking. Really parking.
Oh God, surfing, Don't get 'em going on sewer, water, streets, or anything that requires knowledge and common sense...... it'll cost a fortune in consulting fees, and result in months of overtime pay for "staff". Let 'em finish out their terms having festivals and sending out letters of support, and maybe we'll do better next time. Not likely, but there's always the solution that most of the other long time residents of the town have already used..... move away.
Nobody cares !
Once again the dysfunction of this community raises its political head uninvited. just in time to divert attention and energy from the Council doing anything that really matters such as a focused effort on realizing a sewage treatment plant of some kind or another, the proliferation of totally unregulated air B&Bs, I could go on.........
8.43 Really? The Lighthouse Trail was well on its way before Councillor Thicke got hold of it. Great for her property values I guess. No, pretty sure this is self serving, not hearing anything from other Tonquin residents...
11:14 you don't know squat about the trail development. Thicke has pushed it through and this year to Middle Beach. I would not call bringing more people to the entrance to your driveway, plugging the area so residents can't get out or emergency vehicles get in self serving.
It has reached a point that the area and the tiny beach is becoming overwhelmed by sheer numbers of people.
11.12 The committee minutes clearly show that Councillor Stephen Ashton spearheaded this committee and got the trail started. Councillor Thicke was not part of the committee at that time.
12:46 it is one thing to get the trail through district property and another to get the province and the local First Nations to sign off on having the trail go through provincially owned land subject to treaty negotiation ownership questions. The first part of the trail was easy. Without Thicke the trail would not be happening. It took years of negotiating.
I also suspect you would not have voted for a washroom facility at Tonquin that was a portapotti located at the end of your driveway.
Moved and Seconded by Thicke & McMaster
Tofino Council votes YES to PAY PARKING
Congratulations Tofino
I don't like the idea of pay parking but when I hear from visitors right now that they don't come here in the summer time because they cannot find parking should we keep the status quo? Vehicles storage parked in the district lot instead of having a turnover of parking allowing for more visitors to town. That impacts every business in town.
Just this morning I witnessed a couple of visitors who walked the Tonquin trail to 3rd beach had parked at the Tonquin lot. I was on the trail at the same time and had seen them at 3rd in case you were wondering if I asked them. I saw them get changed at the trunk of their car out of their gum boots and into hiking shoes. They then left their car in the Tonquin parking lot and headed off up Tonquin Park Rd with their map to further explore the area.
If you want to increase parking access to Tonquin this parking meter idea would quickly change many people's parking behaviour. There was no need of their parking at the Tonquin parking area when all they wanted to do was walk the trails. The free parking to be offered at the community hall would have been perfect for them and what they wanted to do. In fact, it would have been better for their outdoor recreation plans today had they known and used the Community Hall parking. There's even the simple restroom facility there.
@4:15 Pay Parking doesn't benefit any business
They could've installed signage on the District parking lot to prevent vehicle storage. What else did you expect when they leave the parking lots as a free for all mess without any signage ?
There will be no parking meters on Tonquin, just signage
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