Four kilometres of roadways and 583 parking stalls located in Beacon Hill Park are one step closer to becoming history.
Victoria city council's environmental and infrastructure standing committee approved a plan to convert most of these impervious surfaces into trails and green space.
Feedback from the public has come back in favour of the transformation plan. It includes moving parking to the park's edges, closing a number of internal roads, improving park trails and adding directional signage.
Not all vehicles access will be barred within the park, however.
"The park is well used by the elderly and disabled so quality access to a number of key locations is required," wrote Doug Demarzo, manager of planning design, in his staff report.
"There will even be family-friendly parking," said committee-member Coun. Philippe Lucas, who advocates for stalls designated for parents with children in all city-owned or run parking lots.
The plan "should make the park more natural and user-friendly without significant negative impacts on accessibility," wrote Lucas in an email to the News.
If formally approved by council, the changes will take five years and cost an estimated $530,000. The funding has been factored into the city's 20-year capital plan.