Phantom Project; "Spirit Square" 'Finished' by Wise Councilors Ferguson, McLean, Wade-Anderson & Peddemors; Popular Vote!

 Source Peace Arch News [Black Press] reporting: 'quote un-quote'  24 June 2008

"With a narrow vote of 4-3 against the controversial project at a special meeting Tuesday evening, city council put an end to an angst-ridden chapter in the city’s history.

In doing so, the city will have to bid adieu to the $500,000 provincial grant handed over in April by Surrey-White Rock MLA Gordon Hogg.

The public square – projected to cost at least $1 million – was to have been built on Memorial Park across from the White Rock Pier.

Council, since first discussing the project in January 2007, had initially considered a city investment of $265,000 for a $530,000 square.

But after the city reapplied to the province for the maximum grant, the plan took shape earlier this year and increased the site to include the parking lot east of White Rock Museum and Archives.

This move raised the ire of several Marine Drive merchants and increased the residents' vocal opposition to the project.

Suspense, tension, and last-minute scrambling preceded White Rock city council's narrow vote against moving ahead with the proposed Spirit Square.

The beginning of the special meeting of council foreshadowed its climax with only two councillors in chambers at the 7 p.m. start. As citizens watched the clock tick past the appointed start time, Catherine Ferguson and Mary-Wade Anderson huddled together in quiet conversation. Both councillors alluded to their lack of support for the project at last week's committee of the whole meeting.

Downstairs, the rest of council gathered in a closed-door meetings, legal reasons cited on the in-camera agenda, but with no indication whether this related to Spirit Square or waterfront parking or another separate issue.

Once the meeting was called to order, and after getting through the first items on the agenda, it wasn't long before Ferguson tackled the elephant in the room.

"I'm not supporting the Spirit Square," Ferguson said.

At this point, a decision on the Spirit Square project wasn't even on the table. The staff report outlined recommendations relating to outstanding issues regarding the project, like no net loss parking solutions, tourism kiosk relocation, and handicap parking spots.

"You want to vote on Spirit Square tonight, then we're gonna vote on it," Mayor Judy Forster said.

Ferguson outlined her reasons for voting against the project, namely she believed it would run into cost overruns that would be passed down to residents, revenue would be lost from eliminated parking spots and Marine Drive merchants wouldn't see any new business as a result of it.

Anderson added her voice to Ferguson's.

"I will not approve or vote in favour for the Spirit Square," she said.

Coun. James Coleridge jumped into the fray, throwing his support in favour of the waterfront project.

"We get to make a statement for the next 20 years," he said, before adding he thought the nay-sayers were caving to public pressure against Spirit Square.

"Politically, it's really easy to abandon it... Every single member of council voted for this along the way until it got a red flag associated with it."

Coun. Matt Todd, chair of the Spirit Square task force, urged council to remember the reasoning behind the project, the arduous work of the committee and the benefits it could bring to the community.

Forster, seeing an opportunity to capitalize on a $500,000 grant from the province – a rare thing in White Rock, she said – argued vehemently in favour of going forward.

"Let's not lose the opportunity tonight to get that square," she implored council. "I think this is an opportunity we can't afford to miss."

But her appeal, along with those of Todd and Coleridge, failed to sway the majority. In short order, Couns. Doug McLean and Stewart Peddemors sealed the fate of Spirit Square by voting against it.

"At this time, since we can't find a solution to the (no net parking loss), I no longer support Spirit Square," Peddemors said.

Had council compromised and changed its position on allowing a parkade to be built near the area referred to as the "hump" on Marine Drive, Peddemors said his vote would have gone the other way.

While emphasizing he had voiced concerns over the chosen location from the get-go, McLean added, "I think the value for what we are getting... would be best spent somewhere else."

But the issue wasn't completely buried yet.

Todd tried a last-ditch effort to get council to vote on an alternative design option for Spirit Square, one that included keeping some of the parking space originally slated to be lost. His efforts were defeated.

Peddemors then suggested council go back to the start of the Spirit Square project, when it was a scaled-back, half-million dollar project shared equally by the province and municipality. This way, the city could still keep part of the provincial funds and improve the Memorial Park area.

"Sometimes you're offered money and it's not the right time," Ferguson said, noting it was unfortunate but necessary to give the money back.

Other councillors said – and city manager Peggy Clark confirmed – if the original deal died, so did the funding, since other B.C. communities were waiting to get a piece of the pie.

In an April interview with Peace Arch News, Surrey-White Rock MLA Gord Hogg confirmed it would be highly unlikely the city would get funding for a new or revised Spirit Square project if council squashed this one.

No one endorsed Peddemors' ideas on the small-scale project, nor did they agree with Ferguson's request to send a polite "thanks, but no thanks" letter to the province explaining why they were giving the money back.

However, Spirit Square may still rise from the ashes, if Peddemors gets his way.

In a phone call to Peace Arch News Wednesday, Peddemors said he had talked to Hogg a few weeks back about compromises to the project should the deal get shot down by council. As well, he expected Clark to discuss the issue with the MLA to see if there was any way possible to keep part of the project alive."

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COMMENTS

A despicable dearth of leadership at White Rock city hall has cost us an opportunity.
This Spirit Square ball has been fumbled by this bumbling council for months - and they embarrassed our well-intentioned MLA, who must now sheepishly turn a half-million dollar cheque back to Victoria.
Perhaps they would rather Judy bought more bears.
Now THAT'S the spirit!
While we can't count on Judy Forster to lead council effectively, we can count on this merry band for ongoing entertainment. Sad that it's at our expense.

Posted by: Rob DeMone
Date: Jun-25-2008