By Spencer Sterritt

Benson View residents call for trail access closure

Oct 18, 2017 | 6:22 PM

NANAIMO — Frustration was evident from Benson View Rd. residents who want the current parking lot leading up Mt. Benson closed and the adjoining footbridge across Witchcraft Lake eventually shut down.

A neighourbood meeting between Regional District of Nanaimo (RDN) staff and Benson View Rd. residents was held Tuesday, Oct. 17 at the Witchcraft Lake Regional Park trailhead following the RDN’s recent acquisition of private property to build a separate expanded off-road parking lot for hikers.

 RDN staff invited neighbours to hear their timeline for the new parking lot and offer feedback on current public amenities.

“It’s been tough,” Larry Lemmon said, who owns a home across from the currently often overflowing parking lot.

“I can’t get my truck in the driveway, forget trying to pull my boat and trailer into the property.”

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Lemmon bought his Benson View Rd. home in 1991, but decided to rent his place out and move to another home locally with his wife two years ago over concerns about the increasing traffic.

“We had enough,” Lemmon said. “It started with just a few cars, then increased to 10, 20, then close to 100 or even more, it’s crazy.”

Resident Greg Gow was among a dozen neighbours who vocally favoured the new parking lot plan, but also wanted the current 24 vehicle lot near the end of the dead-end closed.

He referenced an incident last winter where vehicles lined both sides of the narrow road while a frozen Witchraft Lake was packed with skaters.

“If there’s a parking lot there that problem will never go away,” Gow said.

Residents expressed how the once quiet ambiance of life on Mt. Benson has drastically changed over the years with added congestion, safety concerns and garbage.

Local RDN area director Maureen Young said she supports Benson View Rd. residents.

“It’s an era of where people want to be out in the forest, I can’t say what’s going to happen in the future, but I’ll certainly be advocating for the people, I understand their anxiety,” Young said.

RDN manager of parks services Wendy Marshall told NanaimoNewsNOW while closing down the current parking lot and footbridge is possible, there are many factors to consider, including provincial and City of Nanaimo partners who have stakes in the infrastructure.

Marshall noted various concepts for a new 92 to 126 stall parking lot are being worked on, which will be guided in part by feedback from local residents and presented back to them.

She hoped the new parking lot south of Witchcraft Lake would be built by late next year.

RDN trail counter data at Witchcraft Lake Regional Trail’s gate showed 8,000 people accessed the trail between June and August of this year.

-with files from Ian Holmes

spencer@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @spencer_sterritt