Residents concerned about city plan to dissect park with road

In the 1960s and early ’70s, Strathcona residents bitterly fought the City of Vancouver over a freeway that would have sliced up Union Street all the way to Burnaby.

The freeway plans were nixed, but one part of the freeway was built — the Georgia Viaduct. And traffic from the viaduct was routed along residential Prior Street, an ongoing sore point between Strathcona residents and the city.

With the city planning to take the viaduct down and Providence Health Care looking to build a new St. Paul’s Hospital on the False Creek Flats, the city has been looking at rerouting traffic off Prior.

But instead of rejoicing, Strathcona residents are ringing the alarm bell, because one of the proposed routes goes through Strathcona Park, the neighbourhood’s largest green space.

It’s called the “William Street option,” because the four-lane road would link up with William near Raymur, cross over the Burlington Northern tracks via a new bridge/ overpass and end up at Clark Drive.

The proposal would essentially slice off the southern tip of the park, taking out a running track, a soccer field, one or two baseball diamonds, tennis courts and a field house. A “Prior/Venables Replacement” document from the city’s False Creek plan lays out three possible routes for rerouting traffic off Prior. One would go down Malkin Avenue, the other would go down National Avenue.

The Malkin option would cost $80 million to $130 million, while National would be $150 million to $230 million. There is no cost given for William, but the Strathcona Residents Association fears the city is now leaning toward that option, because it would probably be the cheapest.

Putting traffic on Malkin would also have a big impact on “produce row,” a series of warehouses that supply food to the city. Putting it on National would be the most expensive option, because the tracks are wider there (the National overpass alone would cost $50 million to $90 million).

There are many facets to the plan, including closing off traffic on both Prior and Union. This would be part of the plan to revive a littleused train line that runs through Strathcona from Burrard Inlet to the flats.

“The main reason they’re doing (the overpass) is Canadian National is insisting on closing down Prior, so that they don’t have to block traffic,” said Dan Jackson of the Strathcona Residents Association. “They just want to have a clean run to their yard from the expanded Centerm port that is now going to have 75 per cent more traffic coming in. ”

Judy McGuire of the Inner City Safety Society said the revived train line is incredibly loud for area residents.

“I don’t think they thought this through,” said McGuire. “It’s added an incredible amount of noise, particularly for people who live in the Stamp’s Place (social-housing) project. I don’t think there’s been enough of a safety plan that’s been considered.

“If you look at the city plan, the local area plan, they’re still looking at building housing right along the tracks. How does that make any sense? We have no idea what’s being shipped back and forth on the trains.”

McGuire was surprised to hear that a road through Strathcona Park was even a possibility.

“What’s the point of moving all the traffic off Prior Street so families and seniors can get over to one of the few major parks in the area and putting a highway on top of it?” she said. “How does that make any sense at all? I was stunned that they were even seriously considering that.”

In fact, the city’s director of transportation, Lon LaClaire, said the city initially “kind of ruled out” routing the road through the park, “recognizing the likelihood of getting support for that would be low.”

But the wholesalers on produce row and the gardeners at Cottonwood Gardens were alarmed about the possible loss of their turf on the Malkin route, and urged the city to take another look at diverting the road through the park.

Complicating matters is the fact that Strathcona Park is under the jurisdiction of the Vancouver park board, which is a separate entity from city council.