Lantzville won’t move ahead with idea to convert park into beach parking lot

A little Lantzville park won’t be turned into a gravel parking lot after all.

During a council meeting on Nov. 18, Lantzville councillors unanimously agreed to cancel a request for a staff report, which would have provided a cost estimate report for converting Sebastion Road Park into a parking lot.

Sebastion Road Park is located at the corner of Sebastion Road and Lantzville Road and is approximately 440 metres away from an area of waterfront sometimes referred to as Sebastion Beach.

Councillors had asked for the report as part of an effort to eventually address the lack of parking at the end of Sebastion Road, which is a popular beach access road.

Sebastion Road is expected to receive $900,000 worth of upgrades, including sidewalk installation and repaving, as the district moves forward with the third phase of its $6.9-million sanitary sewer project. A public hearing to discuss the final designs for Sebastion Road has been scheduled for Dec. 2.

RELATED: Lantzville park could become gravel parking lot for beach-goers

Council’s decision to decline receiving a report on the park’s conversion, comes after an online petition to save the park garnered more than 750 signatures.

There was very little discussion from councillors on the matter during the Nov. 18 meeting. However, Coun. Ian Savage, who has been against the idea of converting the park into a parking lot, said he had heard feedback from residents.

“The one good thing that came out of this is just how much residents cherish their green space…” he said. “Whether it is a big or small plot of public green space, I think residents want to preserve all of it.”

Coun. Karen Proctor, who made the motion to receive the report as well as the motion to cancel the report, declined to comment on the matter when contacted by the News Bulletin.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Save small park’s trees