Vision Vancouver pitches proposal to turn Langara golf course into a park

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – A proposal to shut down a Vancouver golf course in favour of turning it into a park is reportedly moving forward with no public input.

NPA Councillor George Affleck says the idea was supposed to be a simple motion about drainage issues at Langara Golf Course, but instead, Vision Vancouver has turned it a request to re-develop the land completely.

Affleck says this came out of nowhere, and with no consultation. “To me, this is the dying days of Vision Vancouver and Gregor Robertson’s reign as mayor. They are throwing this out there, they could care less about what the people of Vancouver think. [Vision] has been gunning for taking golf land, since I’ve been elected, they’ve been talking about putting housing on golf courses in Vancouver since 2011. Today’s motion, to me, was a gift to Vision Vancouver’s developer friends.”

Fellow NPA Councillor Melissa De Genova says she doesn’t know if the NPA will support the project moving forward. “I think we have to wait for more info as it goes forward, however, I’m very skeptical as to what Vision Vancouver is planning here.”

She adds a similar proposal was brought forward in 2012 and there was public backlash. “It was so bad that Vision actually backed away from the decision. The Langara Golf Course is a very special place. It’s my understanding, during my time on Park Board, that it’s a very ecologically sensitive area. But also it provides low barrier access to a sport that can be quite expensive.”

The motion passed by directs city staff to approach the Park Board to collaborate on:

• Options and financial analysis for transitioning some of the Langara golf course lands into a public park with restored wetlands and ecosystems, trail network, sports fields, and a track and field facility that adheres to international competition standards
• Options for partnering with the Musqueam, Langara College, the YMCA, and the Province of BC in relation to future use of the Langara golf course lands and the adjacent parcels
• And further that staff report back by July 2018

Outgoing Vision Councillor Andrea Reimer says this is a proposal, and it will only move forward if the Park Board considers it.

In a statement released by the City of Vancouver, it says the golf course is underused by generating “the fewest average annual rounds of the three city-owned full-size golf courses”

The city is going to study this and then staff will come back with recommendations.

“Langara College is adjacent to 114 acres of public land, yet they have no direct access or sports fields for their teams. As well, the Cambie Corridor is seeing tens of thousands of new people and families move into the neighbourhood as we add new housing along a rapid transit corridor. We would like to collaborate with the Park Board and look at what a win-win solution could look like for the future of the Langara lands, one that could dramatically increase public green space that is free for the public to access,” says Mayor Gregor Robertson.

In 2012, Vision Vancouver was eyeing the 18-hole course to replace it with an accessible green space.