Crescent Beach Property Owners’
Association
Wednesday, July 7, 2021 General Meeting Minutes
Directors present: Jim, Henri, Bruce,
Liz
Held via Zoom with approximately 24
members present.
Councillor Annis was present for part
of the meeting.
1.
Call
to order at 7:30
2.
Update by City of Surrey Engineer Tindi Sekhon on Phase III of
the Crescent Beach Utility Improvement Project:
·
Construction of the Phase 3 project is planned for October 2021.
·
The City has reviewed 3 traffic management options on Sullivan St
and McBride Ave during construction. The 3 options being reviewed are:
o
A sectional road closure from 7:30am to 4:30pm – Mid-October to
Mid-April. Where the road is closed in blocks (i.e. on Sullivan St between Kidd
Rd and Dunsmuir Rd). Traffic personnel to be on-site to assist construction
activities, residents, and public.
o
Single Lane Alternating Traffic from 7:30am to 4:30pm – For the
duration of the project. Where one lane is open for each direction and
controlled by Traffic personnel to assist construction activities, residents,
and public.
o
Directional Road Closure from 7:30am to 4:30pm – For the duration
of the project. Where one lane is open for a direction and controlled by
Traffic personnel to assist construction activities, residents, and public
·
Option 1a is the most feasible approach as it will provide the
contractor with work space and allow for all the associated drainage works to
be completed within the section closed. The expected number of personnel on
site during construction can be up to 8 Archaeologists (including 5 First
Nation representatives), 2-3 traffic personnel, 6-8 construction personnel, and
engineering inspector. The amount of personnel may be different as it
depends on the contractor’s methods and workplan.
·
The contractor will be required to open the road at the end of
each work day.
·
A temporary traffic re-route plan will be reviewed. At this time
it is anticipated that traffic may be re-routed through streets that connect Sullivan
St and Beecher St. The route will be based on the extent of the sectional
closure. More details will be provided.
o
(One item that wasn’t discussed at the meeting is, Tindi would
like to send information to the CBPOA and potentially impacted residents of the
sectional road closure option with detour routes. Any feedback will help with
planning the project.)
·
Groundwater levels were reviewed on the project, based on the
geotechnical tests groundwater levels appeared to be near the bottom of the
pipe trench. This was also experienced in Phase 2 works when works were
continuing in O’Hara Lane in October/November. Further review is being done
with the geotechnical and engineering consultant.
·
The City has been working with First Nation Communities on the
project. One comment by First Nations is to keep the surplus excavated cultural
soil within the Archaeological boundary. The City is exploring the opportunity
to place surplus excavated cultural soil in Blackie Spit in the grassed area
outside (East) of the Dog Park, south of the Blackie Spit parking lot. The City
is carrying out an Environmental assessment and survey of the area. The
assessment and survey is underway, some survey work may be done at night time.
·
It was mentioned that the park site owned and managed by Camp
Alexandra has a low section where water would pond, about 15 years ago lots of
soils (gravels) were brought in to help with the ponding.
o
The City will review the park frontage along Sullivan St.
·
The City awarded a design contract to a consultant recently to
complete the drainage design for the remaining streets in Crescent Beach, from
Sullivan St to Maple St. Construction will be planned in phases. More details
to be provided as the design progresses.
Presentation
by RCMP Sgt Afshin Mehdizadeh (Ash) regarding safety in the beach area:
Sgt Ash Mehdizadeh is
committed to try to resolve our issues, including afterhours noise, drinking,
partying and speeding, and gave his direct office number (604-507-5959) to call
if we see the need. He cautioned the
general public not to get involved with individuals who are disobeying the
bylaws, and to continue to call the RCMP non-emergency number to report a
problem and document issues in the Crescent Beach area.
· Sgt Mehdizadeh explained
that, in March, 2020, his staff (District 5 – South Surrey) was given the
responsibility of being the Covid Compliance Enforcement Team, following up
every call made from the public regarding Covid 19. This responsibility has absorbed many
resources. Also, at the same time, the
volunteer RCMP program was cancelled, again limiting resources.
· Resources must be
prioritized. When a call is made to the
non-emergency RCMP number, a case number is assigned and a file is opened and should
be followed up by an RCMP member. At the
same time, there will be a queue of calls, with robberies, kidnappings,
shootings and domestics taking precedence over after- hours noise and partying
(for example).
· Regarding enforcement,
roadblocks have been carried out and will continue. Some members are training on ATVs to access
beach areas.
· Sgt Mehdizadeh is
committed to deploying members to the beach area when they are available,
especially during busy periods at the beach.
· Sgt Mehdizadeh’s Recommendation:
Start or continue the
Blockwatch program in the Crescent Beach area.
This provides extra safety and security to the public, is effective, and
provides better communication between residents and the RCMP.
3.
Adoption
of May 2021 Draft Minutes (as circulated). Moved by Trish, seconded by Don,
carried.
4.
Matters
arising from the minutes: none
5.
Directors’
Reports
a.
Treasurer
– no changes since the last meeting, approximately $40,000 in the bank account,
and an expenditure of approximately $16,000 towards two AEDs to be installed in
the Crescent Beach area. Moved by
Carolyn, seconded by Ron, carried.
b.
Membership
– the 2021 membership campaign was launched on July 1 with 13 canvassers.
6.
Correspondence
and Updates
a.
Update
regarding the Start Me Up Save Stations (AED) Project – City is in the process
of installing the two AEDs purchased by the CBPOA. Installation will take place on Sullivan
Point near the lifeguard tower, and at Blackie Spit Park near the pier. These locations were chosen because they are
high traffic areas. There will be an additional cost for concrete pads to house
the defibrillators.
b.
Transportation
Update from Ken Karunaratne, City of Surrey -
i. Pedestrian Safety for Whistle
Cessation – The City has heard from BNSF
regarding the redline version of the lease agreement City staff provided
them. They have informed the City that they
will be meeting next week to discuss the changes in the lease agreement City
staff provided to them and should be able to provide us an update after this
meeting.
ii. Conducting Traffic Counts – As requested by the CBPOA, Transportation staff conducted traffic
counts at the intersection of Crescent Rd/128 St on Saturday May 22, 2021 from
12 to 9 PM. Between 2020 and 2021, there
was an increase of over 30% in vehicles entering and exiting the beach area,
with approximately 6500 to 7000 vehicles coming and going from the beach during
this 9 hour period.
c.
Request for consultation from the Surrey Police Service – as shared in an attachment with the notice of this meeting, the Surrey
Police Service invites CBPOA to participate in an interview to identify
challenges and opportunities for future policing in Surrey. Member Bob Gray has offered to chair this
group and enough members have let their names stand to participate in the
interview.
d. Leashed dogs on the beach path: Director at Large Bruce Friesen summarized the 20 year history within
CBPOA of the issue of allowing leashed dogs on the beach path during the summer
months. The current issue is the 5th cycle of discussion in 20 years. Each time there has been a vote at a CBPOA
meeting there has been a passionate discussion followed by an even split in the
vote, not a sufficiently clear mandate for the CBPOA to approach the City to
request a change in the current bylaw. Following
a passionate discussion, the following motion was put forward.
Moved by Susan Beechinor-Carter,
seconded by Kim Snyder, that “we give consideration to addressing the issue of
dogs.”
The
vote was tabled to the September meeting.
7.
Working
Group Reports
Blackie Spit Working Group – Ron Sorensen highlighted two current issues. First, the gates at the parking lot are
currently being closed at 10:00 PM, and that is working well. The Group is still requesting the City plan
for four gate closing times over the four seasons. The other issue is that
vehicles are using the boat launch ramp on the spit. Previously this ramp was marked for hand
launching only (no vehicles) but the signs are gone and vehicles are getting
caught in the saturated sand at higher tides. (Late addition to the minutes:
this issue has been referred to Parks and should be resolved in the near
future.)
Traffic and Transportation Committee Working
Group – Trish McEvoy gave a review of the
activities that have taken place since the group was reformed at the May
General Meeting (report circulated to Membership July 5, 2021). Of note, the
committee has selected the goal of safety for pedestrians, cyclists and dog
walkers in the beach area, and identified the increase in vehicular traffic as
the primary impact on the community. A
petition began circulating in the beach area, highlighting three issues:
Residential Permit Parking, Limited Public Pay Parking, and Speed Humps on
every street. There was a heated
discussion about the fact that the petition had not been reviewed by the CBPOA
membership or Directors prior to circulation.
Moved by Michael Eyre, seconded by Bob Poulton, that “regardless of the
results of the petition, no decision will be made on submitting the petition to
Surrey until a vote has been taken at a meeting of the membership of the
CBPOA.” Carried.
8. New Business:
a.
The City has purchased two lots beside the church on Beecher
Street, for parkland use. The addresses are 2732 McKenzie Street
and 12254 Beecher Avenue.
9.
Meeting
adjourned at 9:42
PM
Next
Meeting: There will be an AGM in September, date and location to be announced.
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