District of West Vancouver considers controversial plan to build private docks on public land

The District of West Vancouver is debating a controversial request from waterfront property owners to build private docks on the public foreshore near Horseshoe Bay.

City council says residents have been raising concerns about the rugged area on Pasco Road and the need for water access for a long time.

At the moment, there is only one road leading up to the roughly 21 homes. It is steep, narrow, and surrounded by cliffs – residents say the addition of the docks would make their properties safer in the event of an emergency.

“The only way these residents would be able to evacuate their property would be via the water”, says Scott Snider, city councillor with the District of West Vancouver.

It comes after the area saw record floods and road closures, leading to evacuation orders for seven properties on the North Shore.

"Shortly after, I received a couple of emails from people saying ‘here’s a perfect example of some of the risk factors that we have moving forward.’ If this roadway, the single access point to and from their residence, was washed out from the storm”, explains Snider.

It comes a public beach access trail in West Vancouver was also the subject of private acquisition earlier this year.

The District is now finalizing a private sale of the property on Altamont Beach, but due to public outcry council voted this week to require the buyer to create a new footpath and allow the public to use the beach while it’s being built.

Snider says in the case of Pasco Road, the motion is not designed to increase property value but to simply act as a safety measure.

“These are going to be short term uses for people to access their properties, so the idea that we would be doing this to increase people’s property value... not in my view, that’s not why its being addressed.”

Snider adds there is no beach access that would be blocked if docks were built, and other residents would not be impacted.

“There is not beach way that is being blocked or limited to the public. You can’t get there by foot because all it is is rocky cliffs.”

Council will hold a public hearing on Nov. 18 where residents can express support or opposition for the motion.

If council goes ahead with the plan – any new docks would still be subject to safety and environmental permits.