At a council meeting on September 24, the Council voted unanimously to move to expropriate a parcel of strata land on the northwest edge of Alpha Lake under the provincial Expropriation Act.
The land has limited development potential due to a BC Hydro right of way, CN Railway and riparian setbacks, sanitary sewer lines and a covenant restricting its use for parking and recreation.
The municipal plans include creating more public lake access and connecting the Valley Trail network between Alta Lake Road and Alpha Lake Park. The RMOW has tried to purchase it in the past but has not been successful. If the expropriation is successful, the owners will be paid the parcel’s assessed value, estimated at $105,000.
Connecting this section of the Valley Trail will positively affect Whistler’s climate change mitigation efforts by fully connecting the southern section of trail and giving people another alternative to driving, Councillor Arthur De Jong noted.
Mayor Jack Crompton agreed: “This is obviously the first step and there are many more to take – and there’s money to spend if we end up actually building out this trail – but I think this first step is really important. Securing that land and doing the minor upgrades… is pretty exciting, so I’m grateful for this direction.”