You can’t please everyone and that certainly appears to be the case with the revised Winskill Park improvement plan approved by council on Monday night.
As we have reported on and commented on extensively during the past few months, the City of Delta has been working to create space for a brand-new aquatic and fitness centre, while trying to preserve the forested area of the park, allow for adequate additional parking as well as maintaining the current baseball diamonds and disc golf course.
The first draft did not sit well with some residents – who bemoaned the cutting down of so many trees and the loss of the disc golf course.
Tsawwassen Amateur Baseball Association was also unhappy that a fourth baseball diamond was not in the plan.
So, back to the drawing board staff went and through more consultation has a plan now that includes the fourth baseball diamond, retains a lot of the trees, includes the new aquatic centre and provides additional parking. There is also a reforestation plan that will be looked at as well, consultation with the disc golf users continues to find a new home for their course.
You would think that a $130-million infrastructure improvement project such as this would be welcomed with open arms, but that still is not the case. Several residents protested in front of city hall prior to Monday’s meeting with the protest continuing in council chambers as the meeting and discussion on the matter took place.
One resident used vulgar obscenities directed at council as he stormed out of city hall – which is totally uncalled for.
There has been much discourse on social media as well, with residents against the plan calling out user groups for approving it, something that was acknowledged by Coun. Alicia Guichon on Monday night.
Quite frankly, I’m at a loss as to what is wrong with this plan. It checks off a lot of boxes and will hopefully check off a lot more once a decision is made on the reforestation plan and the location of the disc golf course.
Many in our community have been crying for the City of Delta to improve its infrastructure as more housing projects are approved. So, here is the city doing that – creating a brand new Winskill Park experience and it still gets slammed?
Is the protest by some residents really about the removal of trees or is it simply that they don’t want their community to change and or see their lives impacted by more people?
That sense of entitlement continues to be alarming.
