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LETTER: Park should not have been repurposed

Bonson Park should have been left for families not disc golf, money redirected to safety issues in neighbourhood

Dear Editor,

[RE: Enthusiasts can use new disc golf course, Jan. 10, The News]
So as a taxpayer of Pitt Meadows and local resident in the area concerned, I'm supposed to be elated with the redevelopment (at much cost) of my frequently used local family park for a kitsch activity that caters to 30- to 50-year-old men who drive into my community to play this sport.  

This is to replace the family picnic areas (city never thought to provide tables), family practice areas for soccer, baseball, grass hockey, kite and model airplane flying, rolling down the hill, etc.

The benches were damaged long ago and never replaced; the swing set dates back to the 1980s.

The first we were aware of this change was when we saw the bulldozers at work.

No consultation that we know of.

The city seems unaware that this park [Bonson Park] was a year-round treasure and not just used on snow days.

Consider that a young boy died in this very neighbourhood area and expressed safety concerns have still not been addressed or inquiries responded to.

Among those safety concerns: 116A Avenue and South Bonson – low lighting at pedestrian crossing, dangerous turning both ways with the traffic calmers, and poor traffic visibility;  116A Avenue – faded crosswalk used by students, transit and West Coast riders, shoppers, families going to the parks and Pitt Meadows areas and activities, due to speed and curve in the road a speed bump is needed at the crosswalk.  

The City needs to get its priorities straight and properly canvas its residents.

– Marcia Anderson, Pitt Meadows