White Rock’s Marine Drive will fully reopen to traffic
Posted July 13, 2021 11:41 am.
Last Updated July 13, 2021 7:35 pm.
WHITE ROCK (NEWS 1130) — Marine Drive in White Rock is about to open up again.
The pilot project that saw one lane closed to allow restaurants to extend their patios during the pandemic will end after the BC Day long weekend.
Several restaurants had written to Council to say that the closure had helped their business stay afloat during the pandemic, and they would like to continue.
The busy Marine Drive was reduced to one-way traffic in order to make more room for patios along White Rock’s waterfront area. (Tim James, NEWS 1130 Photo)
Among them, Primo’s Mexican Grill, Charlie Don’t Surf, and Sasquatch.
Councilor Scott Kristjanson voted against the move, saying council should have kept the program in place for the rest of the summer, as it was initially intended.
“We’ve heard from our businesses, they’ve had four tough years. If we can give them an extra month to recoup some of their money, we claim to be a council that supports local businesses but words don’t speak as loud as actions.”
Some critics took to Twitter to express their disappointment, saying the move to close patios is “shameful.”
Shame on #Whiterock council for voting to close patios on #MarineDrive. #SouthSurrey #Whiterock
— Michael Musherure (@musherure1) July 13, 2021
But not everyone was opposed.
The owner of Docks Fish and Chips, a popular restaurant on White Rock’s West Beach, expressed his support that the road return to the way it was pre-pandemic.
Related Articles:
-
White Rock restaurant owner unsure about Marine Drive patio cost, timeline
-
White Rock’s mayor cautious, ready to welcome tourists back
As did the Ocean Beach restaurant, which wrote a letter to Council saying that now that restrictions surrounding capacity have been loosened, they no longer need the extra patio space.
“We would like to see our neighbours be just as successful in these hard times, not just cater to a certain few businesses.”
A fixture along the beach, the CCTV Chinese Restaurant, also urged Council to return to two-way traffic as it made it more challenging for take-out orders and customers were challenged with finding parking.
The owners of Little Louie’s said they have lost 30 per cent of sales, and blame the significant drop of foot traffic since the one-way began.
White Rock Council voted 4-3 at the Special Council Meeting.
Marine Drive will reopen to two-way traffic after August 7.
