On Tuesday Jan. 17th, 2017, Squamish City Council decided to move forward with lease negotiations for the proposal set forth by Kristall Turm at the Adventure Centre Parking lot. The decision was heavily debated in chambers before a final five to one decision was made to go forward with the project, with only one City Councillor, Susan Chapelle, rejecting the proposal. Squamish Climbing Magazine will be publishing some of the outcomes of this decision at a later date that will provide a broader context for this decision and the history behind a number of variables surrounding this issue.
For those of you who would like more information, here is a excerpt from the Squamish Chief this week on the issue.
Excerpt from ‘Rope course still swinging forward’ by Jennifer Crunch
Despite public outcry, council has reiterated its support of the KristallTurm rope course setting up in the Squamish Adventure Centre parking lot this summer.
Council passed a motion at its meeting Tuesday night in support of district staff continuing to negotiate a lease agreement with the Squamish company.
At its meeting in December, council originally directed staff to negotiate terms of the lease agreement and requested staff gather feedback from the public about the proposal.
Council received around 150 pieces of correspondence prior to the deadline last week, most from rock climbers opposed to the aerial rope course being placed on the parking lot adjacent to the popular Smoke Bluffs Park, a favourite climbing area.
About 77 per cent of the feedback did not support the rope course at that location, according to Neil Plumb, the district’s real estate manager.
Comments in opposition continued to come in after the deadline and right up to the start of the meeting, Plumb said.
About six members of the climbing community were on hand at the meeting Tuesday night.
The primary issue many have with the location is the parking spots the attraction will displace.
“What we see in the future in the corridor is there’s going to be a huge parking issue,” said Chris Small of the Squamish Climber’s Access Society. “We already have huge problems with parking.”
Phase one of the rope course – the only phase that would be guaranteed in a completed lease agreement – would consume about 30 parking stalls of the 196 possible on the gravel lot across from the Adventure Centre, Plumb said.
For the full article by the Squamish Chief, please see the Squamish Chief website.
