Burnaby city councillors are split over plans to cut dozens of trees in Montrose Park to make way for a new water line.
The Metro Vancouver regional district plans to install the Second Narrows Water Supply Tunnel Project with a valve built underground in the park.
During a workshop in November, councillors learned installing the valve station would require cutting down an estimated 75 trees. They wanted to know if there was a better alternative and asked staff to study the issue.
Staff came back with three potential options for the valve station.
- Metro Vancouver’s original design, with the valve station adjacent to the main tunnel shaft. This plan would require cutting 75 trees.
- Install the valve in the Ingleton road allowance about 100 metres east of Option 1. Seventy-seven trees would need to be cut.
- Keep the valve station the same as the first option but move connection water mains to reduce the total disturbance area and permanent right of way of the project.
Staff recommended council go with Option 3, but councillors weren’t convinced.
“I’m very disappointed to have to even choose between these three options,” Coun. Colleen Jordan said. “This is a park that will no contain significant water infrastructure and significant loss to the park.”
Jordan questioned why Vancouver’s Park Board was able to demand a water line through Stanley Park be tunnelled without a cut-and-cover trench disturbing the trees and land above.
“I understand we need water. I understand we need new construction for the future,” she said.
But, Jordan said, the impacts on the park in all three plans are unacceptable.
“Just think what North Burnaby is going to think when we say ‘Oh, by the way, we’re cutting down 75 trees.’ It’s going to be very, very bad.”
While Coun. Dan Johnston echoed Jordan’s concerns, not all on council agreed.
Coun. Sav Dhaliwal, who was recently elected as chair of Metro Vancouver’s board, said the original Option 1 was better than staff’s preferred Option 3. The new plan lacked detailed designs and would likely take more time and money to pursue, Dhaliwal said.
“I’m very comfortable with Option 1,” he said.
Council approved an amendment presented by Dhaliwal to go ahead with Option 1 and abandon Option 3.
At Mayor Mike Hurley’s request, the city’s director of engineering, Leon Gous, explained why staff believed tunneling through Montrose Park was not feasible. He said the stretch being built through Stanley Park is much longer than the one proposed in Burnaby.
“(Tunneling) certainly wouldn’t have given us any less disturbance,” Gous said. “In fact, it seemed to be more disturbance as well as increased costs with really no benefit to that park.”
Council approved Option 1 with Jordan and Johnston opposed.
