West Vancouver's tennis community showed no love for the district's about-face on three Gordon Avenue courts that will continue to serve as a parking lot following council's decision Monday.
Council decided to temporarily convert the courts to parking in 2011 to accommodate traffic during the construction of the Westerleigh Retirement Residence.
Despite the Westerleigh opening its doors in September 2013 and boasting 40 public parking stalls, council voted 5-2 to forego the conversion costs, much to the chagrin of a host of West Vancouver racquet swingers.
"You might not have sworn on a bible, but you gave an assurance," said Rev. Trevor Fisher.
During his own midday survey, Fisher said he counted 34 cars parked on the former tennis courts and 34 empty stalls at the Westerleigh.
While he recognized his remarks might be unpopular, Mayor Michael Smith said council must have the ability to take new information into account when making a decision.
"This is a fluid municipality, we have to have the flexibility to make decisions based on the facts at the time," he said. "The facts now have changed."
The parking lot is currently the subject of a study set to wrap up in late spring. Until council has a long-range plan of the site, bringing back the courts would be premature, according to Smith.
"What's the point of spending $120,000 to convert them, and then six months from now changing it?" he asked.
The district has two problems that have converged on the $10 million site, according to Smith.
"We really do have a parking problem," he said. "We also have a problem with tennis."
Keeping a promise should outweigh both those concerns, according to Coun. Mary-Ann Booth.
"In an election year, this may come across as self-serving, but I feel strongly that in this case, the public's trust outweighs the inconvenience caused by the net loss of some 20-30 parking spots," she said. "With regards to the promise: it was expressed, it was specific, and it was unconditional."
Booth and Coun. Nora Gambioli were the two backers of a defeated motion that would have seen the parking stalls replaced with baselines and service boxes.
"I want to start by saying a mea culpa. I think we, as a district, should have been on this a year ago," Gambioli said, provoking murmurs of agreement from many of the tennis players in attendance.
Gambioli suggested the district use resources to improve courts that are "not right in the centre of the worst parking problem in West Vancouver."
Council received a stinging rebuke from real estate agent Rush Hanson.
Hanson helped broker a deal at Stonethro after assuring the buyer the parking lot was temporary.
"I question whether or not she even would've bought the property if she had known there was going to be a parking lot across the street," she said.
Besides a possible dip in the buyer's property value, the issue of council's credibility is on the line, according to Hanson.
"My concern as a Realtor is: Can we count on the word of the city hall?" she asked.
Don Evans was one week from moving into his $1.4 million Stonethro home when he addressed council.
As an auto broker who looks at thousands of cars each week, Evans said living across from a parking lot is particularly unappealing.
"Would I have ever bought a piece of property opposite a parking lot that reminds me daily of cars that I have to deal with, phone calls that I should have returned? Is that my retirement home?" he asked.
The discussion also touched on the larger issue of tennis in West Vancouver.
The West Vancouver Tennis Club has a two anda-half year waitlist, according to Keith Bower.
Coun. Craig Cameron agreed.
"I know how precious tennis court time is, and I frequently go to North Vancouver because I can't find anything in West Vancouver," Cameron said.
While tennis may have lost the Gordon Avenue skirmish, the community's larger struggle to see the game spread across the district will ultimately be successful, according to Coun. Bill Soprovich.
"Certainly tennis will come out of this better than what it is today," he said.
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