Sandra Thomas
Vancouver Courier
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Green Party parks board commissioner Stuart Mackinnon says there's no need for a second consultation on the fate of the Jericho Wharf.
"For me, the whole idea of preserving the Jericho Wharf is a little like people who want to preserve the Hollow Tree in Stanley park," he said. "I think some people are confusing nostalgia for heritage. It's something from their past that they're attached to and somehow not able to let go of and they think taxpayers should pay for it. We have to be very careful."
Mackinnon was the only commissioner to vote against a recommendation by the board's planning and environment committee, which includes four parks board commissioners, to hold a second consultation on the fate of the historic wharf. Once a staff report is completed on the motion, the board must approve it before it can move forward.
The former parks board voted last July to tear down the popular landmark and leave a small portion as a memorial for an estimated cost of $1.1 million, with $500,000 in maintenance over 10 years. Other options considered included repairing the entire wharf for $1.8 million, with an additional $100,000 to $200,000 needed every six years for maintenance, or spending $2 million to demolish the entire wharf and reinstate the foreshore and seawall along the stretch of the beach the wharf occupies.
"At the planning and environment committee I didn't hear any new compelling information that warrants going further," said Mackinnon. "I was prepared to look into it if any new information had come forward, but I didn't see anything like that."
Last year the public consultations held prior to the decision included signs posted near the site, public meetings, an open house, media advertising and information posted online. While some residents argued the wharf should be left intact because it's a popular landmark and could be used as a public amenity, others insisted its historical significance should be enough preserve it. The wharf was built more than 60 years ago as part of the former Jericho Seaplane Base. Jericho Beach was home to the Pacific Coast Station of the Royal Canadian Air Force from 1921 to 1945. The wharf's perimeter was installed during the 1976 United Nations Habitat Forum on and around Jericho Beach. The railings for the wharf came from the Lions Gate Bridge, which was under construction at the time.
Vision Vancouver parks board commissioner Sarah Blythe said Vision heard from many residents leading up to last November's municipal election upset about what they called a lack of proper consultation regarding the wharf.
"The Vision team wants to be thorough in getting the word out to enough people that they can feel they were part of the process," she said. "The more information we can get out there the better."
Blyth insists the decision doesn't mean Jericho Wharf will be saved, but rather that a new decision reached by the parks board will be based on more complete information.
"It looks to me that a very large chunk of people were left out of the process," she said. "We want to make sure we know enough to be comfortable making a final decision."
Blyth said if the second consultation is approved at parks board, work will begin almost immediately.
"We're going to get moving on this as soon as possible," she said.
The Courier asked Piet Rutgers, director of planning and operations for the board, whether approving a second consultation could open the door to reviews of other decisions made by past boards. Rutgers sent a message through media spokesperson Joyce Courtney that he was unable to comment until the staff report was complete.
© Vancouver Courier 2009
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