Visitor parking options in busy Vernon areas could be investigated

May 10, 2023 | 5:00 AM

The City of Vernon may be looking into options for visitor parking at new multi-family housing projects in select busy areas in the near future.

At the regular meeting Monday, May 8, Vernon council was presented with a recommendation from the Advisory Planning Committee to direct staff to investigate on-site visitor parking requirements for developments adjacent to roads without on-street parking.

The report to council stated the current parking and loading zoning bylaw was adopted in 2003 and that there had been “limited review and amendments to the parking requirements since then.”

It also noted there are new parking needs emerging with e-bikes and e-scooters, cargo bikes, and electric vehicles.

It was recommended the review of the parking and loading requirements be completed following the reviews of the Official Community Plan and the Transportation Master Plan, both of which are set to be done later this year.

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The initial report from the Advisory Planning Committee was accepted, but then Mayor Victor Cumming stated there were already problem areas that should be reviewed right away and put forward a motion.

“My motion is have staff immediately bring back recommendations on increasing visitor parking requirements for new multi-family projects in situations where there is no on-street parking available within a half a block,” the mayor said.

Cumming used the following areas as examples: 25th Avenue, 33rd Street to Okanagan Avenue; 32nd Street, 16th Avenue to 48th Avenue; 27th Street from Highway 6 to Highway 97; Alexis Park Drive from 30th Avenue to 48th Avenue; and our cross streets 39th Avenue from Alexis Park to 27th; 43rd Avenue from Alexis Park Drive to 27th; and 48th Avenue from Highway 97 to [Pleasant Valley] Road.

“These are all places where we have four lane roads. We have no parking along the front of it, and it creates visitor problems now.”

Cumming added a number of lots along these roads are either in the process, or have the potential to be, a multi-family home development, but do not have the capacity to accommodate visitor parking, and saying “to put this [review] off is just to embrace this problem.”

Councillor Brian Quiring indicated that a transportation review is planned, but Cumming stated this is a known issue on the four-lane roads, pointing specifically to an approved development on 25th Ave. that did not include visitor parking, and saying it’s better to start working on the issue now than to wait for the study to be completed and tell them it’s an issue that needs to be addressed.

Councillor Teresa Durning stated she would like to have time to review the issue before making a decision on the matter.

In response, Cumming withdrew his motion, and later in the meeting put it forward as a notice of motion.

The motion, as described by Cumming above, will be brought forward at the next council meeting Monday, May 22.

by Liam Verster

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