Another 100 large trucks could find temporary parking in Aldergrove after Langley Township council voted to grant a three-year temporary permit for a site near Aldergrove Regional Park.
The site 9.5 acre (3.8 hectare site), in the 27300 block of 8 Avenue, is not in the Agricultural Land Reserve. It’s across the street from the park, and is near a former gravel pit and a cemetery.
The temporary truck parking site is the second approved this spring by the Township, part of a response to a dire shortage of parking for big commercial trucks in the Lower Mainland.
Starting early this year, the Township’s bylaw officers began cracking down on illicit, unlicensed truck lots that had been set up on rural farmland in South Langley. Neighbours and environmentalists raised concerns with the council.
Meanwhile, truckers pleaded with the council to help with the lack of parking, as there is simply not enough space in industrial areas for them to park their vehicles.
The new site will be paved, and will have buffers of between 10 and 15 metres to the north, west, and east between the site and other properties.
The council was almost unanimous in approving the project, but Coun. Kim Richter asked if the site could be restricted to only Langley truck drivers.
“I think our job is to help Langley truckers, not regional truckers,” said Richter.
Township staff indicated that there could be legal issues with attempting to regulating and enforcing a restriction like that on private property. A motion by Richter to restrict the site’s use failed in a 7-2 vote, with only Coun. Margaret Kunst also in favour.
The temporary use permit on the site will run for three years, and can be renewed once.
In April, council voted to ask their own staff to look into options for increasing truck parking, as well as to write to provincial authorities. The motion from Mayor Eric Woodward emphasized that the council does not support changing the ALR to allow trucks to park on farmland, but wanted help from the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure to create a regional solution to the truck parking issue.
READ MORE: Residents, stream advocates call for end to truck parking on Langley farmland
READ MORE: BC United leader talks community courts, roads, and truck parking in Langley
