Post by admin on Aug 27, 2015 18:15:49 GMT -5
Innisfil Journal
By Rick Vanderlinde a friend of the cbfb
Innisfil residents vow to ‘take back the beach’
Marlene De Jesus
Vehicles were once again lined up and down Sideroad 25 north of Innisfil Beach Road last weekend during a busy day at the beach.
Innisfil Journal
By Rick Vanderlinde
A group of “frustrated” Innisfil residents hope to “take back the beach” Sept. 5 in an effort to show the town taxpayers should come first.
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Christian Pitcher, who ran for council last year, said residents are upset Innisfil Beach Park is dominated by visitors who receive the best parking places and often disrespect the park by littering and ignoring rules.
Pitcher said he expects at least 200 vehicles to show up at the park at about 7 a.m. on the Saturday of the Labour Day weekend.
“We’ll park at the best spots closest to the beach,” he told the Journal Tuesday. “We’re just trying to bring to light what has been happening and what has been ignored by council.”
Parking lots in Innisfil Beach Park have been filled to capacity nearly every weekend this summer, forcing visitors to park on surrounding streets and along the 25th Sideroad. The over flow has created illegal parking in residential streets, which has residents calling for council to come up with a better plan.
Pitcher said the group is not trying to deter tourists from the popular Alcona beach; it’s only attempting to show that residents shouldn’t be an after thought.
“Council is saying they are not going to deal with it until next year,” Pitcher said. “There is frustration out there. What did they think was going to happen? Tourism isn’t going to stop but they are turning a blind eye to it.”
The town has reserved 96 spots available in parking lot B (71 spots) and G (26 spots) spots for residents only. And on July 31, the town created its Safe Park Enjoyment Program. Under that plan, South Simcoe Police set up road closures at Innisfil Beach Road at 25th Sideroad and Hastings Road at Lakelands Avenue when parking lots were full in the park. It also set up an overflow parking lot a Goodfellow Public School, which has also been filled to capacity every weekend.
The town has issued 1185 parking tickets since May 31, with the vast majority related to the illegal parking in Alcona on weekends. The $40 tickets are expected to generate $47,400 in revenue for the town. Paid parking in Innisfil Beach Park, which was increased by 30 per cent this year, makes about $183,000 a year for the town.
Stan Daurio, an Alcona town councillor, said he isn’t surprised residents have decided to protest problems in the park by holding the “take back the beach” event.
“I don’t know why Innisfil residents put up with some of things we do,” Duario said.’
Daurio complained that as local ward councillor he was never consulted on the temporary road closures.
“When the mayor decided to close the roads, he didn’t even consult the ward councillor,” Daurio said. “I told him all it would do was push vehicles into retail plazas and side streets. It was a stupid idea, it really was.”
Earlier this month, the Journal attempted to interview Mayor Gord Wauchope about the situation but was referred to the town’s communications department instead.
During the Aug. 12 council meeting, Wauchope suggested holding a public meeting in the fall to get public input to help create a plan for next summer. The mayor also suggested fewer people will park illegally if the $40 fines are increased. Parking in a paid space inside the park costs $30 a day.
Duario said there were some short-term solutions that could have been implemented this year to ease the illegal on-street parking problems.
He suggested working with developers who own vacant lots in downtown Alcona to create temporary parking lots. Daurio said the town could have also utilized parking lots at Holy Cross and St. Assisi catholic schools for overflow parking as it did with Goodfellow Public School.
“There is enough room in the park. This is essentially a parking issue,” Daurio said. “We could have sent a shuttle around to the (temporary) lots to take people to the beach.”
Innisfil Beach Park has become a highly regarded destination for GTA residents, Daurio said.
“We need to make this a good experience for the tourists. It can be a really good economic driver for us,” he said.
Pitcher agrees that the town needs to deal with the parking issue soon before it scares away the tourism the town has been attracting. But at the same time, the town needs to increase bylaw enforcement in the park and create new rules that outlaw barbecues on the beach, he said. He also wants a ban on tents, which have been used as portable toilets
By Rick Vanderlinde a friend of the cbfb
Innisfil residents vow to ‘take back the beach’
Marlene De Jesus
Vehicles were once again lined up and down Sideroad 25 north of Innisfil Beach Road last weekend during a busy day at the beach.
Innisfil Journal
By Rick Vanderlinde
A group of “frustrated” Innisfil residents hope to “take back the beach” Sept. 5 in an effort to show the town taxpayers should come first.
RELATED STORIES
Beach seekers create parking woes...
It’s worth the drive to Innisfil...
Christian Pitcher, who ran for council last year, said residents are upset Innisfil Beach Park is dominated by visitors who receive the best parking places and often disrespect the park by littering and ignoring rules.
Pitcher said he expects at least 200 vehicles to show up at the park at about 7 a.m. on the Saturday of the Labour Day weekend.
“We’ll park at the best spots closest to the beach,” he told the Journal Tuesday. “We’re just trying to bring to light what has been happening and what has been ignored by council.”
Parking lots in Innisfil Beach Park have been filled to capacity nearly every weekend this summer, forcing visitors to park on surrounding streets and along the 25th Sideroad. The over flow has created illegal parking in residential streets, which has residents calling for council to come up with a better plan.
Pitcher said the group is not trying to deter tourists from the popular Alcona beach; it’s only attempting to show that residents shouldn’t be an after thought.
“Council is saying they are not going to deal with it until next year,” Pitcher said. “There is frustration out there. What did they think was going to happen? Tourism isn’t going to stop but they are turning a blind eye to it.”
The town has reserved 96 spots available in parking lot B (71 spots) and G (26 spots) spots for residents only. And on July 31, the town created its Safe Park Enjoyment Program. Under that plan, South Simcoe Police set up road closures at Innisfil Beach Road at 25th Sideroad and Hastings Road at Lakelands Avenue when parking lots were full in the park. It also set up an overflow parking lot a Goodfellow Public School, which has also been filled to capacity every weekend.
The town has issued 1185 parking tickets since May 31, with the vast majority related to the illegal parking in Alcona on weekends. The $40 tickets are expected to generate $47,400 in revenue for the town. Paid parking in Innisfil Beach Park, which was increased by 30 per cent this year, makes about $183,000 a year for the town.
Stan Daurio, an Alcona town councillor, said he isn’t surprised residents have decided to protest problems in the park by holding the “take back the beach” event.
“I don’t know why Innisfil residents put up with some of things we do,” Duario said.’
Daurio complained that as local ward councillor he was never consulted on the temporary road closures.
“When the mayor decided to close the roads, he didn’t even consult the ward councillor,” Daurio said. “I told him all it would do was push vehicles into retail plazas and side streets. It was a stupid idea, it really was.”
Earlier this month, the Journal attempted to interview Mayor Gord Wauchope about the situation but was referred to the town’s communications department instead.
During the Aug. 12 council meeting, Wauchope suggested holding a public meeting in the fall to get public input to help create a plan for next summer. The mayor also suggested fewer people will park illegally if the $40 fines are increased. Parking in a paid space inside the park costs $30 a day.
Duario said there were some short-term solutions that could have been implemented this year to ease the illegal on-street parking problems.
He suggested working with developers who own vacant lots in downtown Alcona to create temporary parking lots. Daurio said the town could have also utilized parking lots at Holy Cross and St. Assisi catholic schools for overflow parking as it did with Goodfellow Public School.
“There is enough room in the park. This is essentially a parking issue,” Daurio said. “We could have sent a shuttle around to the (temporary) lots to take people to the beach.”
Innisfil Beach Park has become a highly regarded destination for GTA residents, Daurio said.
“We need to make this a good experience for the tourists. It can be a really good economic driver for us,” he said.
Pitcher agrees that the town needs to deal with the parking issue soon before it scares away the tourism the town has been attracting. But at the same time, the town needs to increase bylaw enforcement in the park and create new rules that outlaw barbecues on the beach, he said. He also wants a ban on tents, which have been used as portable toilets