New Traffic Study Announced!

We just received an “auto-response” email from the City of Vancouver’s Andrew Wroblewski. He’s the project facilitator for the Notre Dame Open House. We wrote to ask him when the Open House might happen.

It turns out it’s postponed until sometime in April. One reason for the delay is that the school is now required to do a traffic study.

It’s good to see that our concerns about McCarthy Stadium traffic and parking are having an impact. The updated traffic study is an important step in the right direction.

However, it’s not clear about the scope of the traffic study. After reading his email, you may want to ask Mr. Wroblewski a few questions.

To Whom It May Concern;

In the past few months, we have heard concerns from the community with respect to the Notre Dame sports field.  This email is to provide information and an update on this development that is currently under review.

The school will be hosting an open house to engage the community and ensure that their concerns are heard.  While we originally estimated that the open house would be held in late January or early February, it has come to our attention that Notre Dame will need more time to prepare for an open house based on the community feedback we have heard so far.  Some of this preliminary work will take time, including the preparation of an updated traffic study, therefore; we are now targeting a post-spring break open house in early April. Please be assured that no decision on the application will be made prior to our notification process, the opportunity for the community to provide feedback for staff review and the open house.

A postcard delivered to the neighbourhood will arrive by mail in early March, providing further details on the open house and details on how to provide feedback.

Yours truly,
Andrew Wroblewski | Project Facilitator andrew.wroblewski@vancouver.ca 604-673-8460

We should take a moment to digest what is happening here.

In mid-August, orange fences went up around trees on 2800 Parker Street. At any moment, the Lombardy poplars along Kalso Street could have been cut and Notre Dame free to begin work on McCarthy Stadium. All this might have happened with a simple yes from the City with no public discussion.

Notre Dame and the City seemed to think this was acceptable because in their view, McCarthy Stadium was simply a change from a grass field to an artificial turf field, needing only a minor amendment to the existing permit.

However, after strong pushback and evidence to the contrary from our neighbourhood, the City has been having second thoughts.

First, in December it required Notre Dame have an Open House to “reset the community consultation in order to gain official feedback”.

Now, in February, the City wants the school to do an “updated traffic study”.

None of this would have happened if you hadn’t spoken up.

We’re pleased the City is beginning to listen. However, it’s not good enough to find out about a major development like a traffic study as part of an automated response.

We should be at the table taking part in the decision making process, not outside looking in.