Coun. Geoff Young is looking for a compromise to improve access to a washroom in Beacon Hill Park for people with mobility challenges while minimizing impact on other park users’ enjoyment.
About half the roads in the park are closed to cars, including Arbutus Way, which has a parking lot near the children’s playground and an accessible washroom.
Councillors voted last month to maintain a partial car ban in the park.
There are still parking lots and washrooms available within park boundaries.
“I’m particularly struck by the fact that compromise that we’ve reached now doesn’t allow easy access to the toilets,” he said.
Seasonal closures or restrictions at particular times of the day could be a better compromise, he said, but he’s not sure what the solution is.
He’s putting forward a motion to ask staff to explore options that councillors will discuss Thursday.
Young said he’s looking for a balance to meet the needs of those who have mobility challenges with the needs of other park users to feel safe and enjoy a car-free space.
Wendy Cox, executive director of the Victoria Disability Resource Centre, previously told the Times Colonist that some conditions require people to be within a short distance of the toilets, and with the closure of the parking lot on Arbutus Way it’s no longer possible for those people to enjoy the areas of the park they used to frequent.
“They could park there, use the facilities, then go enjoy the park as much as they can before they need to hit back and use the facilities again,” she said.
