Emotions were high Monday night after Surrey council approved a controversial road through Hawthorne Park.
Surrey City Council’s decision to remove the reservation of a portion of Hawthorne Park from a bylaw comes after months of opposition and more than 11,000 Surrey residents formally voicing their disapproval of the project.
Watch what happened, below.
See more: Emotions high after Surrey approves controversial road through Hawthorne Park
video
The controversial road is part of 105 Avenue Corridor Project, which aims to connect Whalley to Guildford.
A city report notes the two-lane road would affect four acres of parkland, and that 200 trees would have to fall.
But the city says it will be adding an additional five acres to the park by acquiring adjacent properties, which will add 450 trees to the park.
And, the city is planting 500 trees within the corridor boulevards.
Click here to see the full report.
The city’s justification for the road is to move utilities off 104 Avenue in preparation for light rail, that it’s been in the city’s Official Community Plan since 1986, and to create an east-west connector to Whalley Boulevard to 150 Street to ease traffic and reduce congestion.
Councillor Judy Villeneuve said it was a “difficult decision.”
She said the city’s growth means city council must be “responsible about what kind of services and infrastructure we provide for people, and how people move.”
Poll
Villeneuve said City Centre has seen densification, and more density is coming along the corridor from Surrey City Hall to Guildford.
If the plan doesn’t go through, Villeneuve said there would be an “inadequate transportation corridor to service this area.”
She said that is important because vehicle omissions make up one-third of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, mostly from idling.
“I understand the concerns of those people that are going to be directly affected by the road but I do think in the long run the community is going to be better served,” she said.
“We need to have balanced development… we have to make responsible planning decisions.”
See also: Hundreds sign petition against ‘aggressive’ plan for roads in Surrey’s Hawthorne Park
See also: Former Surrey mayor lends support to ‘Save Hawthorne Park’ ralliers
See also: David Suzuki joins ‘Save Hawthorne Park’ fight in Surrey
Villeneuve said she supported the road for these reasons.
“I know how people really love their park and I understand that it’s a beautiful park so council is making a big effort to improve the park,” she added, pointing to $3 million in improvements, hundreds of new trees and five new acres of land being added to the park.
The city is also going to build a larger playground, new washrooms, new trails, and new connections for streams and habitat, she added.
A new entry that’s more accessible for the community is also planned, said Villeneuve.
“I think we’ve made a big effort to reasonably look at how we can improve the park for the community by adding land rather than taking away,” she said.
Villeneuve also said the city would be signing a Memorandum of Understanding with the nearby school, Hjorth Road Elementary. The planned connector road would cut through the school’s playing field.
The MOU would be to ensure the playground is moved “successfully” and to negotiate, in the long run, a new location, said Villeneuve.
Villeneuve insisted that this decision about Hawthorne Park does not set any precedent about any other parks in the city.
See also: VIDEO: ‘Save Hawthorne Park’ group delivers petition to Surrey City Hall – complete with a song
See also: LETTER FROM SURREY MAYOR: Misinformation about Hawthorne Park road plans
Mayor Hepner said it was a “difficult balancing act in competing priorities.”
Hepner said the decision has no impact on any of the city’s other parks.
“In fact, we spend $20 million annually to parkland acquisition and just this year, have added 58 acres of new parkland.
“Still, a tough decision.”
