The mayor’s task force on commercial truck parking in Abbotsford will hold a meeting next week to discuss the feedback received at a recent public information session hosted by the city.
On June 1, local residents were encouraged to comment on the initiatives in the document Mayor’s Task Force on Commercial Truck Parking: Moving Forward, which lists suggestions to accommodate and support the fast-growing business of trucking.
The most controversial point proposes residential parking, said Coun. Moe Gill, who is part of the task force.
Numerous emails were submitted on the topic, along with questionnaires that were available at the information session.
The follow-up meeting, on June 23, will see the task force discuss those suggestions and concerns.
Currently, there is no plan to hold another public event. However, Gill said that could change depending on the outcome of the upcoming meeting.
Once the task force is satisfied with the initiatives, they will present their report to city council.
Along with residential parking on private property, the report also suggests a pilot project, where specific streets in industrial areas would be used for overnight commercial truck parking, from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m.
Fast-tracking development applications for new or expanded commercial truck parking facilities on properties that aren’t located within the Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR) is another initiative, as is promoting the use of gravel pits and sites belonging to the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure.
The Mayor’s Task Force on Commercial Truck Parking: Moving Forward can be read in full online at abbotsford.ca.