Dear Editor,
Many residents were angered by the mayor’s dismissive comments on the petition they submitted to council during the Zoom virtual meeting on Tuesday night.
READ: Pitt Meadows mayor responds to petition to halt development of North Lougheed Study Area
Signatures gathered against development of the North Lougheed Study Area (NLSA) farmland were all from either, residents, relatives of residents, or people who shop and work in Pitt Meadows and love the city.
Residents concerns apparently went unheard as Mayor [Bill] Dingwall sought to further his personal champagne laundry list of ‘wants’ for Pitt Meadows, a list that the residents feel they will all ultimately end up paying for with higher property taxes.
In the middle of a global pandemic, when stressed residents already distracted by the pandemic are struggling to pay bills and short of money, this is not the time that the council should be bringing up important projects such as the NLSA development. [Not] until the full ramifications of the pandemic on the local economy are known and they can ask questions or voice concerns in person.
During the presentation of a concept plan for the NLSA, there was no mention of preserving the eagle habitat or noise buffering for residents in the immediate area.
Plans for a new interchange at Harris Road or figures from any recent traffic surveys were also not given.
It was not clarified who would be responsible for paying for the upkeep of any new ‘connector road.”
RELATED: Over 600 Pitt Meadows citizens sign petition to protest North Lougheed development
Traffic volume is now much less on Old Dewdney Trunk Road, since the tolls were removed from the Golden Ears Bridge.
Also with the new Pitt River Bridge, Golden Ears Bridge, West Coast Express, B-line bus to the Evergreen SkyTrain, and more people working from home it is expected that traffic patterns will change dramatically in the future.
With the changes already in place there is no need for a new connector road. Previous planning, from earlier years, is now substantially outdated.
A much respected resident citizen of the year’s email was read out at the end of the council meeting stating that submitting questions via a Zoom meeting is not the same as being able to ask them in person. However, the mayor choose to dismiss those comments stating, “this not being the time for a gotcha,” [which] further angering residents.
Sandie Banni, Pitt Meadows
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