Close the loop or not?

That question will be posed to Victoria council members at their Feb. 11 committee of the whole meeting, when they look at proposed short-term improvements to Clover Point Park.

Designs for the spit of land that marks the unofficial eastern terminus of the regionally popular Dallas Road waterfront pathways – Breakwater District at Ogden Point being the other – include more seating, bike racks, Indigenous art installations, an area for food trucks, public washrooms and upgraded lighting.

Two options will be offered to council for consideration. The recommended one, estimated to cost $250,000, would see the above improvements and the south area of the park remain closed to traffic even after work on the Clover Point wastewater pump station is completed. With accessibility and reduced pedestrian-vehicle conflict among the goals, parking for people with disabilities and a designated drop-off zone would be located close to the pedestrian zone, while 13 general parking spaces would be available further up the hill.

This modification, the report states, “is intended to reduce the amount of park space dedicated to vehicles so that it may fulfil its outstanding potential as a space dedicated to pedestrians.”

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Public engagement on a longer-term plan for the park would happen at a later time, likely in 2022.

The alternate option would see the vehicle loop reopen as soon as possible after construction work is completed, and the improvements remain until a long-term plan for the park is developed. It would allow for public consultation on all potential changes to the park, including vehicle access and parking.

Removal of vehicle access to Clover Point was considered by the city in the 1990s, but the idea was shelved. With work on the wastewater pump station area nearing completion, and the Dallas Road multi-use pathway now completed to the breakwater, the city has turned its attention to improving the park itself.

Find the staff report at victoria.ca.

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