Vancouver Park Board this week approved implementing pay parking at Spanish Banks. Photo Dan Toulgoet
Some of Vancouver’s parks and recreation services will soon cost a little bit more.
Vancouver Park Board commissioners Tuesday night voted to make changes to some of the fees the board charges for various services and activities.
One big change coming next year is pay parking at Spanish Banks. Pay parking is currently in place at all the city’s destination parks and beaches, except for Spanish Banks.
“Pay parking is a critical source of revenue for the Park Board, providing funding for necessary enhancements to the safety, security and cleanliness of our parks,” staff said in a report.
Starting in 2018, pay parking will be in effect at Spanish Banks from April 1 until Sept. 30. Parking rates have been set at $3.50 an hour, the daily rate is $13 and a season’s pass is $87.
Staff told commissioners that the board will be working with transit providers, as well as car and bike share companies to ensure there are alternative forms of transportation available to the public.
Parking rates will remain the same at most other parking lots under the park board’s jurisdiction. One exception is Vanier Park — the daily rate at the gravel lot will see a $0.50 increase and the daily rate for the vehicle-only paved lot will see a $1 increase.
Many fees, such as pool and arena admissions, swimming lessons, racquet and tennis courts, as well as flexi and 10-visit passes, and admission to VanDusen Botanical Garden, will go up by two per cent or less. Fees for golf, pitch and putt, the Stanley Park train, Bloedel Conservatory and fitness group personal training will remain at 2017 levels.
Pool rentals for all indoor and outdoor pools, including fees for swim clubs and programs, will go up by five per cent. Admission charges for Maple Grove outdoor pool will increase by $0.50. According to a staff report, prices there have been significantly lower than comparable pools.
Arena rentals will go up by between two and five per cent, and sports field rental rates will increase by two per cent for youth and adult non-profits. The rate will increase by five per cent for all other rentals “as current prices are significantly lower than other municipalities.”
Moorage costs at Burrard Marina are also on the rise. According to board staff, the moorage and land storage rates at the marina are roughly 30 per cent lower than comparable local marinas, which has resulted in a growing waitlist. To minimize the pricing gap, the board will gradually increase the rates over the next four to five years with an eight per cent increase planned for 2018.
Permit fees for special events and filming will also see an increase of between two and 5.9 per cent.
Board policy states that fees are levied to recover all or a portion of overall operating costs. Fees may be reduced for people with accessibility issues and their attendants, families, groups, frequent users and during low priority times.
More than half of the park board’s operating budget is funded by fees and charges collected for services, and a large part of the expenditures are staffing costs. The annual cost increase for staffing costs is expected to be about two per cent, based on the board’s collective agreement.
In addition to approving next year’s fees and charges, board commissioners also voted to make a change to the age groupings for fees — the pre-school age group is now 3 years and under, and child is 4 to 12.
@JessicaEKerr
jkerr@vancourier.com
