Two Front Street business owners are appealing for city council’s help in resolving issues in their neighbourhood.
Saadiq Daya, one of the owners of Westley’s Military Surplus, said the new owners immediately applied for a business license after buying the business from its longtime owner. He said they were surprised when their application was rejected, as there was already an existing licence in place, but sought to sought to address the city’s concerns.
“We spent quite a bit of money and time bringing the building up to speed. We got everything done,” he said.
Over time, the new owners began to see that there were “quite a few issues” in the neighbourhood.
“We had an attempted break-in about two weeks ago. Someone smashed the lock. We had to get the lock repaired. Thankfully, they didn't get in. One of our neighbours was assaulted,” he told council. “We have a (soldier) statue in front of the shop; his gun was stolen a few weeks ago. On a daily basis, there's feces left in front.”
Daya said the business has worked with neighbours and police on a number of issues occurring in the neighbourhood, so it came as a surprised when city staff told them they’d need to remove the boards on the front of the store over the next few months as a condition of getting a business licence.
“I was quite shocked, and in a way I was very taken aback,” he said. “I was very offended that this issue would even be brought up, to be honest, as a business that's going through this. And we're right down there on Front Street with the shelter next door.”
Daya said the business hasn’t complained about the issues occurring in the neighbourhood but it is concerned about removing the boards, which are covered with murals. He said glass windows are costly to replace if they’re broken and shutters would cost about $20,000 to install.
“What's quite bizarre to me is that we're having a significant problem down there, and we're being told, as a new business, to take down the boards,” he said. “We're not allowed … to protect it. But we're supposed to maintain a business there where the whole front will be glass.”
Daya appealed to council for “a little bit of leniency” in regards to the mural-covered baords that are on the front of the store.
“I would understand if it was bringing a negative image to the city. In my opinion, it's beautiful artwork,” he said. “The previous owner had paid a significant amount to have beautiful artwork put up.”
Emilie Adin, the city’s director of climate action, planning and development, said she will have her staff meet with the business owner to try to work out a solution.
Coun. Jaimie McEvoy said he went by the businesses to check out the murals and was so impressed that he took pictures of them.
“I actually took a picture of that Royal Navy plane because I thought it was so realistic and so interesting,” he said.
“It needs to be addressed now.”
The owner of Sugar Rays Boxing is urging the city to take action to deal with some of the issues on the eastern section of Front Street. He said he’s been calling on the city to step up street cleaning and to install permanent trash cans for several years.
“It's appalling that you guys don't get us trash cans,” said Brennan Williams.
Williams said some individuals have flipped over the temporary trash cans, dumped the contents on the sidewalk and used them to transport stolen items.
According to Williams, the city installed banners in the area, but they’re not maintained like other banners in the city. He said nice lighting covers half the area and the other half has nothing, and he said it’s unlikely a temporary staircase leading to the parkade meets licensing requirements.
“The minute you cross east Front Street to west Front Street, it's a different world,” he said. (The west side is the area that’s home to the Front Street Mews.)
Williams said his business contacted city hall to see if it could help the business and the Purpose Society deal with some of the graffiti in the neighbourhood.
“We reached out, and instead, the next day, we got notices from bylaw to paint over the graffiti on our businesses. We asked you guys for help – you threw it back in our face,” he said. “It's an insane way to treat a business.”
Williams said there’s about five businesses remaining on the eastern section of Front Street (the block where the old Army & Navy building is located) and many are reconsidering their decision to be on that street.
“Really, how valuable is it for us to be there on the street that gets abandoned when we watch other streets get bike lanes and beautification and beautiful planters and we can't even get you guys to come down and pick up the needles?” he said.
Williams said the area needs the city’s attention now. He said New Westminster Police Department patrols and cleanup by I’s on the Street crews are appreciated and help address some of the businesses’ concerns.
“It needs to be addressed now, not in a two-year plan, not in a five-year plan. We need a solution now,” he told council Monday night. “We need a solution. Honestly, we need a solution tomorrow. Because tomorrow, we'll be down there picking up needles and picking up fecal matter for my business so I can open.”
Council passed a motion by McEvoy to have staff report back to council on the issue. He was among the council members who visited the area.
“It was striking. When you are walking, you can feel the dividing line when you reach the end of the Front Street Mews,” he said. “The banners and the public art is not up to city standards.”
Coun. Tasha Henderson said Williams and local business owners have some ideas about organizing events to bring more pedestrian traffic to the area, and suggested they connect with city staff.
Coun. Daniel Fontaine supported McEvoy's motion, but said Williams’ appearance before city council was “a cry for help” and an appeal for action. Given that the city is looking to spend $90,000 on a master plan for the Queen’s Park petting zoo and $650,000 on a public toilet, he said the city should be able to find funds for trash cans on Front Street.
“I'm struggling how we cannot find a few dollars to put a garbage can, or two or three in front of your area,” he said. “You are dealing with this homeless crisis. You are at the frontline. You're dealing with the mental health crisis that we're facing. We owe it to you as a city, to make sure that we do everything we can to stabilize that street and hold all of you businesses there as long as you can, until the social housing comes on board and the other mental health supports from the province that we've been long awaiting come into fruition.”
Coun. Nadine Nakagawa said the city has a role to play in addressing issues like banners, but the province has a role in tackling the broader issues impacting the area. If there’s a way the city could facilitate a discussion between the downtown business community, downtown residents and New Westminster’s MLAs, she said that would be really helpful.
“The most powerful voice is from the people most impacted, and so we want to ensure that they're hearing that just as loud and clear as we are,” she said.
Lisa Spitale, the city’s chief administrative officer, said staff will provide some information back to council as early as its Dec. 12 meeting.
“We've already been looking at other issues around lighting and garbage pickup,” she said. “Our commitment is to provide as much as we can back in this chamber by the 12th, but the work that we're already doing for the business community is going to continue.”
Spitale said the city is also holding an engagement session with downtown businesses on Dec. 5.
“It's about trying to deal more effectively with the business community, provide council with information and then be very, very strategic about what we can put forward in the 2023 budget process that is actually a new funding ask,” she explained. “Because ultimately … much of what we're doing right now, we should be getting funding from the province. I can't say it more politely than that. But in the absence of that, we're going to be putting funding requests forward to council so that we're being transparent and recognizing that we're trying our best.”
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