With measures aimed at helping alleviate parking issues in the Crescent Beach neighbourhood to be implemented “soon,” City of Surrey staff want to move ahead with a second round of public consultation regarding construction of a fence along Bayview Street, parallel to the BNSF rail line.
According to a report coming to council tonight (Jan. 15), the consultation is “to better understand priorities and inform the community of the limited opportunities for whistle cessation.”
Trains running through the waterfront neighbourhood have been a source of angst for residents and visitors alike for many years.
Discussions between the city and railway owner BNSF regarding whistle cessation at the McBride Avenue and Beecher Street crossings have been ongoing since 2008.
While BNSF proposed a 1.8-metre chain-link fence be erected on its property to obstruct and deter trespassing, the city “could not accept” the company’s requirements for lease payments, indemnity and liability, the report states.
An alternative location identified on city property would avoid those requirements, however, it would eliminate an estimated 50 illegitimate on-street parking spaces along Bayview Street.
Public consultation conducted last summer found that while more than half of 156 residents who responded to a survey supported whistle cessation, fewer than half – 45 per cent – supported the proposed fencing.
In a Dec. 13, 2023 report to council, staff said on-street parking could be increased through educating area residents on the city’s parking rules and removing unauthorized obstructions and signs from the public road allowance.
READ MORE: Surrey council advised against Crescent Beach train-whistle cessation efforts
City staff note challenges to completing the fencing include the likely requirement of an archeological permit and potential soil investigations. There is also a deadline to make use of $324,480 in funding received for it from the Federal Rail Safety Improvement Program.
“In alignment with (city staff’s July 2023 recommendations), and recognizing the potential challenges associated with constructing the fence amidst a divided community, it is recommended that staff complete a final round of engagement and report back to Council,” Scott Neuman, the city’s general manager of engineering concludes.