Ambleside boat launch to be closed?

Sounds like they're recommending the proposal for the new ambleside waterfront in 2 years. Wasn't too clear from the notice but the minutes of the meeting was attached..
 
Breaking_Shimanos said:
Sounds like they're recommending the proposal for the new ambleside waterfront in 2 years. Wasn't too clear from the notice but the minutes of the meeting was attached..
Click to expand...
read the meeting agenda again - the council meeting is scheduled for Monday, June 13 (next Monday) so there's still time to gather more signatures and even show up at that meeting if you really care. Each speaker has 3 minute to speak and voice their concerns about the plan. I'm going to go in person and see what alternatives the city is willing to offer. I do not live on the north shore anymore but use that ramp throughout the salmon season so it'll really be a challenge for me and my family to get easy and affordable access to the harbor area if the ramp is removed.

Just so that we are all clear again, no decisions have been made yet. "staff" is recommending the removal (Duh!) doesn't mean that the final decision is made yet.
 
My mistake and glad someone was paying attention

JUN 6, 2016 — The staff of the District of West Van have recommended accepting the new waterfront plan which would eliminate access to the ramp- possibly within 24 months per their implementation strategy.
I have included a link to the Council Agenda and report:

http://westvancouver.ca/sites/default/files/dwv/council-agendas/2016/jun/13SP/16jun13SP-Agenda2.pdf

It will be a full house June 13 at 6 PM (get there early if you want to be closer to the action). We are summarizing our own report to council now and will be submitting soon.
More speakers the better on June 13!
 
Sorry I misread that too I guess. I must have skipped by the word "recommended" at the beginning of that. Also confused when at the end of the agenda it says the Jun 13th council meeting be adjourned, which I interpreted as being cancelled.

Anyways guess there's still time to voice our concerns with this plan unless an alternate boat launch location. It would be a real bummer to lose the only non privatized boat launch access in the district of West Van.

If you haven't done so, petition can be found through this link... https://www.change.org/p/retain-or-...ium=email&utm_campaign=share_email_responsive

See some of you in June 13th!
 
JUN 15, 2016 — COUNCIL MEETING RE RAMP:
Okay the Ambleside Waterfront Concept Plan was unanimously endorsed last night.
What this means to us:
The section of road from 13th to 14th will be closed and the ramp will no longer be accessible as of the end of December 2016.
Municipal staff have been directed by Council to "explore alternative vehicle accessible boat ramp locations"
Our read on this is that the alternate locations could well be OUTSIDE of West Vancouver. Several councillors seemed enamoured with Lions Gate Marina as an "out" for this problem, but we could not disagree more- it is NOT a solution, it is a band aid. Next step is to push hard for a location for a new ramp IN West Vancouver. We are working on putting a team together for this.
Please go to Facebook and join our group "Ambleside Ramp" to keep up to date with the issue. We would also like to be able to reach everyone in the future who signed the petition as we may need further input, so if you haven't joined the FB group, please do so!
 
Sotally Tober said:
JUN 15, 2016 — COUNCIL MEETING RE RAMP:
Okay the Ambleside Waterfront Concept Plan was unanimously endorsed last night.
What this means to us:
The section of road from 13th to 14th will be closed and the ramp will no longer be accessible as of the end of December 2016.
Municipal staff have been directed by Council to "explore alternative vehicle accessible boat ramp locations"
Our read on this is that the alternate locations could well be OUTSIDE of West Vancouver. Several councillors seemed enamoured with Lions Gate Marina as an "out" for this problem, but we could not disagree more- it is NOT a solution, it is a band aid. Next step is to push hard for a location for a new ramp IN West Vancouver. We are working on putting a team together for this.
Please go to Facebook and join our group "Ambleside Ramp" to keep up to date with the issue. We would also like to be able to reach everyone in the future who signed the petition as we may need further input, so if you haven't joined the FB group, please do so!
Click to expand...

Thats pretty sad. Anyone who knows anything about this region and its history would laugh or not believe that a time has come for there to be no convenient access to the water for boaters in West Vancouver.
 
wishiniwasfishin1 said:
Thats pretty sad. Anyone who knows anything about this region and its history would laugh or not believe that a time has come for there to be no convenient access to the water for boaters in West Vancouver.
Click to expand...
This is the result of a doomed stakeholder engagement process by the district, not to mention the role of corrupt politicians. I wasn't able to attend the council meeting in person but watched it live online. The reasoning by some council members and the mayor was a joke:
1- "The existing ramp is not a safe spot for launching motorized boats because people and children walk around the parking/launch area" (Duh!) ---> Port Moody Rocky Point Park has an upgraded 3-lane boat launch right in the busiest area of the park and there's never been any pedestrian safety issues. same goes for the Cates park in north van.
2- "It's a free boat launch and doesn't generate any $$ for the City while other neighboring ramps (private and public) charge a fee. So, we should be removing the ramp!!" --> provide more parking, improve that ramp or even build a new ramp and dredge the launching zone on an ongoing basis and people will willingly pay for improved service. That old and cra**y boat launch with such limited parking isn't really worth a $.

Even my 11-yrs old son was laughing at this. Such a poor justification of a wrong/unjustifiable decision...

terrin said:
I would join the group but don't do facebook. I can email if that works
Click to expand...

Yes - I don't have a facebook account either but am willing to support this moving forward. I think the initiators of this will gain more support if they setup a mailing list on a blog or something that could be easily accessed by everyone.
 
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BCRingo said:
The reasoning by some council members and the mayor was a joke:
1- "The existing ramp is not a safe spot for launching motorized boats because people and children walk around the parking/launch area" (Duh!) --->
Click to expand...

Wow....I hope Gregor and his crew don't read the minutes and think Vanier is bad because people and Shakespeare fans walk by the launch.
 
I received this email today from Change.org:


PETITION UPDATE
Letter to Council
Ambleside Boaters Group
17 DE JUN DE 2016 — Here is the letter I sent to council today:
June 17, 2016

Mayor and Council
District of West Vancouver
750 17th St.
West Vancouver V7V 3T3
Via email to Mayor and Council.

Reference: Council Meeting of June 13, 2016, boat ramp closure

Dear Councillors,

As stakeholders for the retention of a boat ramp for trailered vessels in West Vancouver we are writing to express concern re:
1. Item 2 of the motion did not include a reference to further public and stakeholder consultation for users of the ramp when we have clearly been recognized as a stakeholder with significant interest in the use of the ramp. We have contacted staff on numerous occasions to open discussions on this matter and have had no formal response.
2. That the motion passed as item 3 (a) directing staff to proceed with closing vehicular access to the boat launch and exploring alternative vehicle accessible boat ramp locations by December 31, 2016 does not meet the needs and desires of the general public currently using the ramp, and does not allow adequate time to ensure a new functioning ramp in the immediate area will be in place prior to the closure of the existing ramp, leaving boaters in a position of making journeys to the area in potentially unsafe conditions as outlined in our report dated June 7, 2016, Section C (g).

Will Council consider linking the closure of the ramp to vehicular traffic to the reinstatement of a new ramp in the immediate area? We see no reason that access to the ramp needs to be removed by December 31, 2016.

Will Council consider imposing a timeline on the selection of a new ramp location as they have for the closure of the old location?

We look forward to your response and to working with staff to find an alternate location for a vehicle accessible boat ramp in the immediate area.


Ambleside Boaters
Andrew Kennett, P.Eng.
Cc to Andrew Banks via email
 
I received this email with a possible closing date for the ramp:




PETITION UPDATE
Ramp Closure imminent
Ambleside Boaters Group
AUG 11, 2016 — We have still been working on this Ambleside ramp project.
To update:
The District has said they will close access to the ramp no later than December 31, 2016 and more likely by the end of fishing season which they deem to be October 31, 2016. They have no plans to allow for the installation of a new ramp in the area, even though their council motion stated that they would "explore alternate locations". In fact we know that a proposal to install a ramp in the Ambleside Park area was presented as a "no cost to District" proposal to the staff at the District and to the Mayor- both indicated that they were unwilling to support this and that the "timing was not right" for such a proposal.
We are considering starting a formal Society to gain strength by having a membership and a mechanism to raise funds to continue this battle. We have had some signs made up soon to be posted at the site.
we would appreciate knowing the level of support for a fund raising society by having an email from those that would consider contributing to the society- amount would be relatively small depending on the participation rate, but would give us something to work with going forward. Please respond to amblesiderampclosure@gmail.com if you would consider joining this Society. There is a greater potential for success if we do this- we do have a couple more avenues that we are pursuing.
Thank you, Andrew and Phil.
 
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