A new pathway that connects White Rock’s Goggs Avenue to Oxford Street isn’t a long one – perhaps 100 metres from start to finish.
But it’s gone a fair distance when it comes to building faith among area residents that the current city council listens.
“I just wanted to give credit to council for something that’s positive,” George Scott said Thursday.
“This is really nice what they’ve done.”
Scott and his wife Diane have lived at The Royce – located between Thrift and Goggs avenues – with their Pomeranian, Cody, since it opened in May 2015, and often traversed the city-owned green space that is now home to White Rock’s new water-treatment plant.
It was a nice place to walk Cody, as well as to connect with such sites as Centennial Park, they said.
They became concerned last year, however, after learning of the city’s plans to add security fencing around the water-treatment site.
READ MORE: Fencing at White Rock water sites ‘a matter of security’
Approved in July, the original plan for the fencing would have eliminated that public access, which the Scotts say “everyone” at The Royce, at least, routinely enjoyed the use of.
“Most of the neighbourhood uses this,” George Scott said. “It’s good access.”
Scott said he found out about the fencing plans late, but emailed council with his concerns and raised the issue at one of the community meetings that are regularly hosted by councillors at White Rock Library, in an effort to influence the final plan.
Two councillors met with him at the site, he said, and the mayor was on hand when Scott brought the matter up at the library.
To Scott’s delight, the fencing plan was adjusted to preserve public access to the site’s southeast corner, as well as leave space for a pathway along the south stretch between the end of Goggs Avenue through to Oxford Street.
Scott said he was pleased to see city crews laying an asphalt pathway on Feb. 15. Plans for new lighting are being finalized, added Diane.
tholmes@peacearchnews.com
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