By Dominic Abassi

Huge piece of south Nanaimo land to be protected as park

Aug 16, 2017 | 1:55 PM

NANAIMO — More than 250-acres of forested land in Nanaimo’s south end will soon be protected as parkland.

Council directed staff to place an official park designation on nearly all of the Greater Nanaimo Water District land — a 252-acre piece south of Colliery Dam Park between Harewood Mines Rd. and Nanaimo Lakes Rd.

“That is a phenomenal asset in any community, to have parks of this size,” coun. Gord Fuller said, also referencing Linley Valley Park in the north end.

A bylaw will be prepared to dedicate the area as parkland and the official community plan amended to apply a parks and open space designation. Once passed, approval of the electorate is required to use it for another purpose or sell it.

The motion passed Monday by Council applied to a 185-acre section of the land south of the Nanaimo Parkway. A 67-acre piece north of the Parkway was tabbed for parkland at a meeting in late July.

modified weapon

Sawed-off shotgun seized after Nanaimo RCMP spot well-known offender

3h ago

rainbow eyes

Nanaimo judge hands old growth logging protestor additional jail time

5h ago

Paris Bound

Nanaimo race walker Olivia Lundman qualifies for Paris Olympic Games

7h ago

Councillors Diane Brennan, Sheryl Armstrong and mayor Bill McKay voted against the motion. While they all supported the concept of protecting the area as a park, Armstrong and Brennan raised issues about process. At the July 24 meeting, council committed to further public consultation on potential future uses for the portion south of the Parkway.

“It’s a question of a promise we made to people a month ago that we would consult them,” Brennan said. “Some of us think we know what people would say, and we may well, but we should consult. I don’t like the idea of putting together a plan and offering it to people, saying ‘here look what I thought of, what do you think.’”

McKay said he “can’t understand what the hurry is” to make the park designation, noting there are no immediate plans to do anything with the land. “Is anybody asking the question of staff ‘how much more money do we need to give you in order to operate (the parks) we’re building, buying and dedicating?’”

McKay referenced unfulfilled plans in Maffeo Sutton Park and no budget to maintain the newly-opened Steve Smith Bike Park as evidence there isn’t enough money to look after the parks the city already has. “If council was willing to say we want to create X number of parks, I’m fine with that, as long as we give appropriate budget to look after them. We’re not doing that, we’re just out there getting more.”

The original staff recommendation for the land south of the Parkway called for a mixed designation of rural reserve and parks and open space. Rob Lawrance, environmental planner with the City, said that concept was drafted following community consultation in late 2016. A future public hearing will be required before the park designation bylaw can pass.

“I’m quite comfortable with the consultation that’s taken place, I’m quite comfortable with preserving and protecting this sanctuary,” coun. Bill Bestwick said.

The area where the old GNWD offices and reservoir sit will not be included in the park. The City is currently negotiating a lease with Nanaimo Search and Rescue for that area to become their new home.

It’s estimated it will take about two or three months to prepare and pass the park bylaw and designation.

dom@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @domabassi