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Letter: Park planning process purely political

To the editor: Re: “ Promised park nowhere in sight ,” June 13.
concord
Photo Dan Toulgoet

To the editor:

Re: “Promised park nowhere in sight,” June 13.

Nobody should be surprised that Vancouver city council is stonewalling on delivering any False Creek parkspace until the Vision-led initiative to implode the viaducts finally comes to fruition.

Any parkspace created west of Main Street will be accompanied by eliminating acres of an inner city park and community gardens east of Main along the south side of Strathcona Park with the full approval of the park board, not the first time the city and park board will have removed East Side parkspace to pursue personal agendas.

The city’s desire to demolish the best access to downtown started years ago with the unanimous council decision to extend Thornton Street south combined with the re-alignment of Scotia Street just north of Great Northern Way. Half of the overpass transversing the BNSF rail yards has already been built and when complete they will add thousands of more rat-running vehicles to East Side streets and bike routes.

The city has already adopted reports and applied for federal funding to fast track construction of overpasses on Prior and Malkin, which will be widened in order to accommodate increased truck volumes.

It’s all part of Vision’s ongoing plans to densify and carve up East Side neighbourhoods with more vehicle traffic and roads not less. In typical city council bungling, construction of the Thornton Street overpass began before a deal was finalized with the landowners.

But hey, at least there’s a fake island at the sinkhole Olympic Village.

George Brissette,
Vancouver

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