| Antique truck museum given green light Despite staff recommendations to deny a proposal to use the old Surrey museum to showcase restored vintage trucks, Surrey city council approved temporary use of the space on April 2. Coun. A staff report to council said the proposed facility may not be considered to be permanent, as it may be demolished to make way for redevelopment in the next few years. The report goes on to say that the society should consider the potential of opening the museum as a private venture on private land without city involvement. Hunt said the old museum is simply a space for the society to use while they try to find a better location. The hope is to have the museum open on time for the Cloverdale Rodeo in May, Reid said. Hunt moved a motion during the April 2 meeting for staff to negotiate a rental agreement with the society at no cost to the City of Surrey. "The empty building is just sitting there," Hunt said. "We didn't go to them for money for the renovations and we didn't go to them for money for the on-going operations, such as lights and heat," he said. "We've been at this since September. Bill Reid, who is on the board of directors of Surrey Heritage Society, said the group is ecstatic with council's decision to allow access to the building. But the trucks will be on display no matter what. Reid said the corporate community has shown a good deal of interest and support in the initiative, including Unitow, which has offered to tow all of the vehicles from Coquitlam for free, and the Lark Group, which is doing most of the renovations, has offered to do some of the work as a corporate contribution. Staff will come up with an agreement with the society, Hunt said, that will go back to council. "My point was that this is at no cost to the city," Hunt stressed. "We will definitely have the trucks on display for the rodeo," Reid said. The transportation museum would showcase 14 to 18 trucks, ranging in age from 1914 to the 1950s, which belong to the Teamsters union. "So there's a large amount of interest in this, believe it or not. |
Wednesday, 4 April 2012
Antique truck museum given green light
