Parking is already at a premium in downtown 91原创 City, and turning McBurney Lane into a pedestrian corridor/greenbelt 鈥� however beautiful 鈥� will only make things worse.

That was the message Anita Ference and Terry Smith brought to City council on Monday night, speaking on behalf of merchants and shoppers in 91原创 City鈥檚 retail core.

Ference, who owns McBurney Lane Barbershop, and Smith, a longtime commercial property owner in McBurney Lane, were responding to a presentation made on July 21 by landscape architects from Vancouver鈥檚 Hapa Collaborative.

In it, a McBurney Lane enhancement project was laid out which would see 22 parking spaces removed from the lot immediately south of the square on Fraser Highway in favour of trees, green space, a walking path and other aesthetic improvements.

The City鈥檚 proposal is that the lost spaces could be replaced with the introduction of a new parking configuration along Douglas Crescent.

The installation of back-in angle parking along that street would add 26 new spaces 鈥� a net gain of four parking spots, noted City CAO Francis Cheung.

However, Ference insisted that moving customer parking farther away from the plaza will do serious harm to area businesses.

Offering convenient pick-up and delivery is vital, she told council, and the handicapped parking space currently provided in the lane is 鈥渘ecessary and used consistently,鈥� she said.

She also has serious concerns that the design will 鈥渆ntice more vandalism, drug use and loitering.

鈥淲e agree with (making the downtown) greener, but taking parking away to meet those goals is not fair to the merchants,鈥� she said.

Following her remarks, Ference presented a petition which, she told council, bears roughly 1,200 signatures of merchants and customers who are opposed to the plan.

鈥淲e鈥檙e willing to work together with the City to find a solution,鈥� Ference said.

鈥淲e鈥檙e all members of the community.鈥�

Despite assurances by Mayor Peter Fassbender that the City has not made any decisions about potential changes to McBurney Lane 鈥� and won鈥檛, until the feasibility of the new parking structure on Douglas Crescent has been assessed 鈥� Smith fears the changes are inevitable.

鈥淚鈥檓 very pessimistic. I feel it鈥檚 a fait accompli,鈥� he said.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 think they understand the implication to businesses downtown. I鈥檓 very disappointed.鈥�

Smith, a former 91原创 City councillor, said that a number of years ago, when 23 buildings sat empty in the downtown core because of a shortage of parking, council made a number of changes, including turning a section of Fraser Highway into a one-way street, dramatically increasing the number of parking spaces.

鈥淲hen we increased parking on Fraser Highway, it improved immensely,鈥� he said. 鈥淚nstead of just driving by, people stopped and looked.

鈥淎t the time, we thought of closing off parking to Salt Lane. The merchants said 鈥榩lease, don鈥檛,鈥� and we listened,鈥� he said.

鈥淚 get the feeling this council is not listening.鈥�

Following Smith鈥檚 and Ference鈥檚 presentations on Monday night, Councillor Gayle Martin said she has never understood why merchants and shoppers refused to use the parking lot the City provided two blocks east along Fraser Highway.

The City purchased the lot several years ago and then sold it after seeing it sit empty the vast majority of the time.

There is also parking available for $20 per month in the casino parkade, Martin noted, adding that is 鈥渙nly half a block away.鈥�

She argued that shop owners and their staff parking in spaces they should be leaving for customers 鈥渋s an ongoing complaint.鈥�

Martin suggested 鈥� tongue in cheek 鈥�  that if the City were to install parking meters, the problem would likely solve itself.

Smith agreed that some merchants and staff do park on the street in front of their shops, 鈥渂ut only a few bad apples,鈥� he insisted.

Each parking space is worth more than $30,000 per year to the shops, and most owners understand that, said Smith, who is one of the few landlords  in the area who is able to provide parking for his own tenants.

Martin also stated that she doesn鈥檛 believe it is up to the City to provide parking for businesses 鈥� a comment that took Smith by surprise, he admitted, adding he鈥檇 called her the following morning to talk about it.

鈥淚 disagree. Where is this coming from,鈥� he asked.

鈥淲e have to supply parking downtown 鈥� of course that鈥檚 the role of the City.

鈥淲e鈥檙e not a mall. If we were, it would be our responsibility. We can鈥檛 anyway 鈥� where would we provide it?鈥�

鈥淚 really don鈥檛 understand it, honestly. I鈥檝e been a businessman all my life and we need to supply parking.

鈥淐ustomers are not going to park at the casino and walk downtown to buy a chair at McBurney Lane. Right now, we need all the parking we can get.

鈥淭o remove 22 spots from the most used (parking lot) is stupid.鈥�

鈥淲e will continue to work with you, to see what other options might be,鈥� Fassbender told Smith and Ference on Monday night.

鈥淚 thought the idea of a pedestrian park was great,鈥� said Councillor Rudy Storteboom. 鈥淏ut if parking is more important, then there are still a lot of questions to be answered.鈥�