False Creek residents wary of viaduct-free park design

The chair of the False Creek Residents Association is wary about the city's plans to develop what some call the last major undeveloped waterfront property in the city.

The city has put forward plans to develop the Northeast False Creek area after the removal the Georgia and Dunsmuir viaducts.

In addition to thousands of new residential units and a commercial district, the city's plans include 9 hectares of multi-use park land which connects and expands existing park space like Creekside Park and Andy Livingstone Park.

The city has selected James Corner Field Operations, the same landscape architecture firm that designed New York's renowed High Line Park, to develop the park space.

False Creek Residents Association chair Patsy McMillan, who is also a member of the stewardship group for the development area, said the park space is long overdue.

McMillan said the city and developer Concord Pacific have a contractual agreement dating back to 1990 that when the developer puts in over 7,000 residential units, they would to provide a certain amount of park space.

Not all of that park space was delivered, she said, and McMillan is worried the city won't be able to deliver on this newly promised park space.

"Our concern is where is that acreage? We've asked on several occasions and we keep getting told not to worry, it's there. But nobody can actually tell us where it is," she said. "There's been no survey done of the land to show exactly where that size is."

McMillan's biggest concern is there won't be enough green space or "breathing room" with all of the extra density introduced by the residential units.

"The city says 'don't worry, it will be there. It'll be a beautiful park.' But I'm not sure I'll see it in my lifetime," she said.

An open house on the proposed park design takes place Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. PT at the International Village Mall.

With files from The Early Edition

To listen to the interview, click on the link labelled False Creek resident wary of viaduct-free park design