Dear editor,
I have been reading with interest the problems facing the downtown businesses, particularly those on Fifth Street.
In my opinion, taxes aren鈥檛 the only issue. I鈥檓 sure many would agree that access and parking for these small businesses are equally to blame for a downturn in business.
With such narrow streets, and parallel parking being challenge to many drivers, it is little wonder that many Comox Valley shoppers prefer the big box stores with their easy access and vast parking lots.
Like many others, I avoid shopping downtown unless absolutely necessary.
I recall several years ago reading that Courtenay council had approved a plan to turn Fifth Street into a one-way street leading up from the bridge. Whatever happened to that plan?
It makes perfect sense to have these narrow streets as one-way, up on Fifth and down on Sixth, allowing for angle parking on the left-hand side on Fifth.
This would alleviate the present backlog of vehicles waiting while others attempt to parallel park. It would also provide additional parking, as angled parking takes less space than parallel parking.
Again, whatever happened to this logical plan to improve access to the downtown core?
Dave Godfrey,
Union Bay
