Willow Point locals say they’re fed up with what they call ‘intolerable’ nightly behaviour happening at the Ken Forde boat launch parking lot and nearby beach.
In a letter to Campbell River city council, Willows Oceanside Strata council president Chris Merrick expressed his frustration, noting ‘young people’ have made it their hangout spot, gathering in the parking lot almost every evening.
“There has been excessive speeding (including drag racing), screeching of tires, constant revving of engines, and repetitive blowing of horns in the parking lot,” Merrick wrote.
But what seems to worry Merrick the most is that other pedestrians use the parking lot and boat launch, with both adults and kids utilizing the nearby Sea Walk to walk, cycle, rollerblade, and skateboard.
“We are very concerned that the illegal operation of motor vehicles, especially the high speed will result in a serious accident to a pedestrian,” Merrick said.
“A large number of complaints have been phoned into the RCMP over the last four months regarding the ‘extremely unruly loud’ operation of motor vehicles in the Ken Forde parking lot [and] also along Highway 19A between the light at Erickson Road and Barlow Road.”
He continued, “The use of Highway 19A between Erickson and Barlow Roads as a speedway will, in our opinion, eventually result in a serious motor vehicle accident.”
Oftentimes, litter is found strewn all over the parking lot in the morning, Merrick noted. As well, he said that vehicles sometimes park in ‘such a random manner’ that it actually restricts other vehicles from using the lot as designed.
At the end of the day, Merrick says local residents have the right to enjoy their homes and get a decent night’s sleep. “We are asking that city council now take immediate action to deal with the many serious concerns we have brought to your attention,” he added.
After reviewing Merrick’s letter at their Monday (Aug. 9th) council meeting, council requested a staff report on options to address the ongoing issues.
Councillor Charlie Cornfield said, “I’m a little concerned about, when I read his letter, that maybe we could do a little bit more than what has been accomplished. [I’m] concerned about the time frame and what we can do to address the issue. It’s nothing new that we haven’t addressed in other areas in town along the waterfront.”
