A group of Roberts Creek residents recently requested that the SCRD look into the feasibility of a pedestrian connector trail between the end of Ocean Beach Esplanade and Lower Road. Area D Director Andreas Tize and I asked for a report from staff, and the upshot is that we are topographically challenged.
Some residents are perfectly happy with existing trails…
The road allowance corridors in the area cross steep ravines. It was pointed out to me that lots of private property owners build stairs down bluffs, but the SCRD has to meet high safety standards which require engineering and geotechnical studies, provincial permits, etc. Building an official trail in a ravine gets very expensive very fast.
I’d like to give a big thank-you to volunteers from TraC (Transportation Choices Sunshine Coast) who went out and investigated a possible Grandview route. They also hiked the existing trail at the bottom of Maple Street and concluded: “what looked good-ish on paper is probably too steep for most pedestrians. (Ropes are never a good sign.)”
The alternative suggestion from staff was to enhance the existing route that runs through Whispering Firs Park, down Oceanmount and Laurel to Ocean Beach Esplanade. Staff suggested improvements such as better signage, trail grading, and stair improvements (e.g. a gutter for rolling bikes up or down). This is not the direct route we’d hoped for, but it seems like the best bang for the buck. The project can be funded through gas tax money that we have in hand.
The full report is in the agenda package for the February 4 Corporate Services Committee (Budget Round 1) meeting.
Ocean Beach Esplanade beach access topography. Click to see PDF image.
