March 6, 2023
Dear Mayor Marianne Alto and Council Members,
I am writing to express my concern regarding the City's acceptance of proposals for developments with significant parking reductions or no parking. It has come to my attention that the City Council previously proposed a study be conducted on implementing parking minimums, but to date, the City has not published such a study.
As you are aware, parking is critical for access for many seniors and people with disabilities. Unfortunately, the City has not acknowledged the impact of no parking developments on accessibility. It's worth noting that many people cannot use transit due to various reasons. Therefore, the City is opening itself to liability under human rights legislation if developments proceed without parking and no referral to the Accessibility Advisory Committee.
I urge the City to take into account the needs of seniors and people with disabilities in its decision-making process, particularly on this issue. I request that the City refer any proposed development with significant parking reductions or no parking to the Accessibility Advisory Committee and consider their input carefully.
Lastly, I kindly request that this email be published as part of the agenda package for the March 9, 2023, meeting.
Thank you for your attention to this important matter.
Sincerely,
David Willows
CC: Umar Sheikh, Legal Counsel
It’s Your Right to Equal Access Advocacy Society of BC