SCC offers a solution to truck parking in Surrey

February 12, 2009

The Surrey Civic Coalition will be fulfilling its campaign promise to the trucking community in Surrey this Monday when Councillor Bob Bose introduces a motion to allow for more truck parking in South Westminster.

The motion proposes to amend the zoning South of the Pattullo Bridge by deleting the IL-1 zone in its entirety, and will rezone the properties affected to IL zoning, which allows for truck parking.

Bob Bose explained, "It was a mistake in the first place to change the zoning in this neighbourhood to disallow truck parking. The IL-1 zoning in South Westminster does not allow for salvage uses, but all we've seen is a bunch of salvage that doesn't conform, and a lost opportunity."

Rina Gill, the SCC Council candidate who first brought this issue to the SCC's attention, said she is excited about the possibility of opening up hundreds of acres of truck parking for those who are so desperately looking for space.

"This has been a frustrating and costly exercise for the approximately 9,100 independent truckers registered in Surrey," according to Rina Gill. "Truckers have been telling me that they have been frustrated by the delay, and that they want answers now," she said.

Stephanie Ryan, Vice President with the SCC, said that the current situation of two-year temporary use permits for truck parking, is short-sighted and unsustainable. "It's disappointing that even with Councillor Gill's efforts to find a solution to the lack of truck parking, that no one was able to come up with a solution as simple as this one," said Ryan.

Ryan said that the action is just the first of many the Surrey Civic Coalition aims to bring to City Council as part of their progressive agenda.