Few topics over the past year have generated as much discussion and disagreement in Langley as the plan for a bluff conveyance down to the marina.

Project champions herald it as a long-overdue utility, a convenience that will not only shuttle people to and from the waterfront but transport the city itself into a more prosperous future. To detractors, it’s a potential blight on the view shed, an ill-conceived and expensive political machination for which taxpayers will ultimately pay the price.

Who is right? Which group, project supporters or critics, have accurately predicted a future of boon or bust using nothing more than individual speculation and the results of home Internet searches?

To date, The Record has resisted drawing a conclusion largely for one reason: there simply isn’t enough information to make an informed decision. Having an opinion about aesthetics is one thing, but who can say with any certainty what economic impacts such a project would have on the business community, what the cost of operation for various designs/proposals would be or even whether the project is legitimately needed in the first place.

Well, we can’t, and for that reason we applaud the city’s move to go back to the drawing board and hold a charrette later this month. The project has been in various stages of discussion for about a decade, so it wasn’t the most popular decision, but a necessary one in our opinion.

This is the city’s chance to really nail down what residents want and begin the process of answering questions that really do matter, such as the beginning and ongoing price tags of different conveyance designs.

Critics are absolutely right to question the cost and maintenance of any project. Construction may be covered with grant money, but future expenses will eventually come from the wallets of taxpayers, and personal assertions that everything will be fine doesn’t fit the bill.

To make a real choice, people must have an idea of what various designs will cost. Having legitimate information about public benefit, both economically and transportation wise, is also a must.

Clearly any project that does move forward won’t do so with unanimous public support, but the city can and should do its utmost to identify the best course ahead. Taking this step is an indication that city leaders are doing just that, and it’s gratifying to see they are taking the time to get this important project right.