In the 1980s, there were plans to cut down the old-growth trees and build a new subdivision.
It might be one of the District of North Vancouver’s largest urban forests, but much of Roche Point Park isn’t, legally speaking, a park.
District council is now moving to give the 26 hectares of wooded lands north of Dollarton Highway official park dedication, affording them greater protection. Once a park bylaw is in place, the land must remain in public ownership and be used for park purposes and it can only be removed by a referendum or alternate approval process from voters.
The story of the park-that-isn’t is also the story of a subdivision-that-never-was.
In 1983, the council of the day had plans to extend Roche Point Drive and build a new low-density residential neighbourhood through the property. Those plans were shelved however due to the environmentally sensitive habitat, technical issues, and significant community opposition, according to a district staff report.
Remnants of the subdivision plan remain on the books, however. Under the official community plan, four of the 23 lots are legally designated for single-family homes and the zoning throughout the area is for a mix of residential and parks. There is also a right-of-way for a road that was never built.
If the municipally-owned property were to be developed under the 1983 plans, district staff estimate the land would be worth between $107 million and $143 million today.
But it has far greater ecological value, according to David Cook, a retired biologist who has long studied its flora and fauna and lobbied for the area’s protection. Of particular interest are four old-growth Douglas firs that Cook estimates are between 500 and 800 years old.
“It’s the lowest elevation old-growth forest in the District of North Vancouver,” he said. “For that reason alone, it should be preserved.”
In the 1980s, when the land was up for redevelopment, local Girl Guides flagged an eagle’s nest in one of the trees and wrote to the Aga Khan, who joined the campaign to stop the development, Cook recalls.
Those trees have supported many unique and healthy characteristics that second growth forests lack, making it a major habitat hub, Cook said.
“It has a high biodiversity. In other words, very rich species present in the forest. It’s probably got the highest number of species of fungi of any forest on the North Shore,” he said.
The motion to solidify Roche Point Park’s status came from district Coun. Lisa Muri.
“It’s a very special piece of land,” she said at the July 27 meeting. “And I thank staff for going through this because there are complexities with this site because of the multiple identifiable areas of zoning.”
Council is expected to hold a public hearing on the changes in September and have the park dedication in place before the Oct. 17 municipal election.