A solution to the shortage of visitor parking in the Yorkson neighbourhood of Willoughby is closer, but it won’t come in time for the summer holidays.
Langley Township council was considering a staff proposal that would have introduced time-limited parking, but decided against it after a delegation from the community said the wrong locations were chosen.
Resident Levy Manuel told council when representatives from the neighbourhood met with Township staff on July 18, they thought it was to discuss time-limited parking on the four-lane stretch of 80 Avenue near 211 and 212 Streets.
Instead, they were presented with a plan to impose time limits on the existing street parking for visitors.
“Unfortunately, we did not get very far,” Manuel said.
Manuel suggested council could increase parking this summer by doing what was done over the Christmas holidays, when enforcement of the no-parking area in the wider portion of 80 Avenue was briefly lifted.
The avenue will become an arterial road when the rest of it gets widened to four lanes, but that is still several years away.
Resident Ashish Kapoor said introducing temporary time-limited visitor parking on 80 Avenue until the widening is finished would be “quite a reasonable compromise” that would provide immediate relief and give everyone time to find a permanent solution to the frustrating lack of parking places for visiting friends and family.
Several members of council seemed inclined to give the residents what they wanted, but not until staff were given another opportunity to review the matter.
Councillor Kim Richter said the four-lane section of 80 Avenue should be opened up to parking “until the arterial road has been fully built out.”
Councillor Bob Long said he couldn’t see why the four lanes could not be used for parking in non-peak hours.
Councillor Steve Ferguson said the Township should give the idea a try and see if works.
“I believe it will work,” Ferguson added.
A majority of council voted to send the matter back to staff.
The July 21 decision means the parking issue is unlikely to be addressed until the end of summer, because Township council is not expected to meet again until September.
Kapoor was still encouraged by the council comments, saying it shows all concerned are “inching slowly toward a solution.”