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Reconsider decision on street parking

Can't understand why new policy in place on 119th Avenue

Editor, The News:

There’s no parking on 119th Avenue, between 221st and York streets, in front of Maple Ridge Seniors Village – home to many senior citizens.

Friends and family are encouraged to come and visit our aging parents residing in this wonderful facility. We pick them up and take them on excursions, to their appointments, for fresh air and walks, and show up for events such as their Christmas party. It is paramount to their health and welfare.

Not surprisingly, there have been some complaints from adjacent neighbours regarding temporary overflow parking from the village, in front of their homes.

This summer, after repaving, widening and curbing 119th Street, adjacent to the seniors village, municipal hall put up “no parking” signs in the entire neighbourhood, disallowing any street parking, any time, any day. This includes no parking at Raymond Park.

As this is extremely inconvenient, particularly for seniors, the questions screams out at me: was this situation not foreseen and discussed when the building plans were approved, and did municipal hall not know that four street parking spaces would not be enough for the facility?

The district allowed it to be built, and receives high-density property taxes, and now has decided to take away the parking, just to appease a handful of people, who now have no parking as well?

My conclusion of this ridiculous situation is this: my 91-year-old mother now walks blocks to my car for her ride to the doctor. Visits are less frequent. Parking has shifted to a different area, further away, but still in front of someone’s residence.

The neighbouring complainants park their overflow visitors in front of seniors village, or someone else’s residence.

This fiasco has accomplished nothing, except inconvenience to our seniors.

I urge council to reconsider this unwise decision for the benefit of our seniors and the neighbourhood generally.

Lindy Watt

Maple Ridge