WHAT’S THE PLAN FOR VICTORIA PARK ROADWAYS?

Taxpayers, have you heard of the latest possible waste of money on Victoria Park’s waterfront roadways?

Firstly, in early summer, The Guardian reported that Parks and Recreation chairman Mitchell Tweel announced he wanted to keep the Victoria Park bike lane closed to vehicles for winter activities. Secondly, last week The Guardian reported that Mr. Tweel said the Harbour Hippo was taking up too much room on the park’s roadway, and cyclists are concerned. Mr. Tweel’s solution is to extend the centre concrete curb median with grass down to Brighton Road and not to allow the Harbour Hippo at all. Very costly! In the same Guardian article, Coun. Terry Bernard gave an excellent solution — move the recently installed posts over to give the Harbour Hippo room. More important to many taxpayers, extending the concrete median will certainly permanently prevent all vehicles from going on the inside lane! Math-wise, no room! Could that be the real reason?

Is the Harbour Hippo a scapegoat? What are Parks’ plans for Nov. 1? To close the inside road to all vehicles from Beaconsfield to Brighton Road permanently for a selected group’s use?

Taking into account past winter snowdrift scenarios (no snowplowing at times of both lanes from cannons to the pool), a great possibility exists that taxpayers will lose the only winter access for driving and parking at the cannons to enjoy the only winter harbour view.

Not a happy situation for a lot of taxpayers! What is really going on? Stella (Robbins) Newman (on behalf of Concerned Citizens for Victoria Park’s Waterfront Areas), Charlottetown