West Vancouver sells public beach access to private buyer
Nearby residents cry foul after district includes people's path in sale of district-owned oceanfront property
Christopher Molineux lives just metres away from a public access path to West Vancouver's Altamont Beach. He regularly carries his kayak down the path and even forages for berries along it.
"Many people walk down the hill and use it. We watch the fireworks down at the beach," he told CBC News. "Beach accesses are very much what gives West Vancouver its character."
But soon the century-old public path will become private property — a move made by the municipality to entice a prospective buyer to purchase adjacent district-owned property.
Residents like Molineux aren't happy about it, saying the move effectively cuts them off from accessing a treasured portion of the beach by foot.
"The message is West Van is up for sale. If you have the money, then come talk to us because you can get what you want at the expense of the community," said Molineux.
West Vancouver is a district municipality on Vancouver's North Shore. The public access path is at the bottom of 30th Street and sits adjacent to a property at 3000 Park Lane.
Mayor Mark Sager says its former owner illegally built their home beyond the property line onto a road end. West Vancouver's previous council took the owner to court and repossessed the land.
"It's been on the market for about a year, and we got very low offers, and then somebody came in and said, if you will sell us the rest of the unopened road allowance, we'll pay it. We'll buy it."
Sager said the district was originally offered about $5 million for the property but offers climbed to about $6.5 million if it included the public beach access.
"Council had to consider that. These are always difficult decisions, but at the end of the day, the majority of council thought that was an appropriate price," said Sager.
Beach access to close
Council voted in favour of closing the public beach access at a meeting on July 22, with Coun. Christine Cassidy as the lone holdout. During the meeting, Coun. Scott Snider suggested the city could try to retain a portion of the path from the buyer so people could still access the beach.
"I thought it was a brilliant idea," said Sager. "I interrupted the meeting to ask our property agent to contact the prospective buyers to see if they would consider that. Unfortunately, they said no."
Molineux, who was watching the meeting, said those conversations weren't made clear to the public at the time.
"It really appeared evident, they were during the meeting, bargaining with a prospective purchaser, and not saying it," he said. "Then, hours within the meeting finishing, a sold sign popped up ... a little tiny sign that's 120 odd feet into the lot. That's where it is."
Realtor Holly Calderwood has listed the property on her website as "sold (pending)" for $6,998,000.
The mayor said no decision has been made on where the money will go, but he wants the city to use it to complete an acquisition of properties on the Ambleside waterfront.
Sager also said residents are free to use other access points, including one about 270 metres away. The city is also considering repairs to provide access at the bottom of 29th Street.
Community amenity lost
Molineux says he feels like property sales came at the expense of residents in the neighbourhood.
"I would just like to know that things are being done fairly," he said, "[and] that the values of the community, the amenities of the community are protected, fostered, and enhanced, rather than put on the chopping block as part of some kind of deal."
His neighbour, Sydney Sharpe, said the access point was why she moved to the area in the first place.
"We use it for swimming, reading, picnicking," she said. "To me, it strikes me that the residents in this neighbourhood are being bamboozled."
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