We are residents of Eagle Drive, and we are confused by the amount of energy and concern there seems to be around parking on Eagle Drive. We see and agree that there are cars that park on certain sections of Eagle Drive (Pique, Oct. 21 “Council Briefs: No plan to deal with street parking”).
We have read Gavin Forsyth’s letter to Pique (Aug. 26, “Street parking needs to be addressed”), David Guarasci’s letter to council and watched the comments made by Councillors Cathy Jewett and Ralph Forsyth at the most recent council meeting.
These are the stated concerns:
1- People are using streets to park, for free;
2- Diminishes the feel of the neighbourhood;
3- Some homes are crowded, and do not have enough private parking for all residents;
4- People are sleeping in cars (sometimes);
5- Waste handling in Whistler is an issue;
6- “It is a gong show,” said Coun. Forsyth.
We agree that safety is not an issue. Also, there is no mention of inconvenience to homeowners that can still access their private driveways. Do we simply want to engage in passive-aggressive complaints without any solutions?
I share the sense of embarrassment that Mr. Guarasci feels when he too turns onto Eagle Drive—I am embarrassed that in a community of such affluence, we force our workers to live in such conditions, and that they in turn are subjected to harassment by their neighbours.
Guarasci and Gavin Forsyth propose stronger parking regulations/enforcement, which in this case comes across to us like a desire to criminalize and punish poverty.
The real issue with Eagle Drive parking is an affront on the aesthetic preferences of a particular demographic: you know who you are.
Given the problem, we have a solution: turn Whistler into a 55+ Club Med.
