Editor, The News:
City hall staff could be in discussions with a developer, planning an infill project in your neighbourhood, and you wouldn’t even know until there is a letter on your doorstep, inviting you to come and hear all about it.
We know. Mitchell Road neighbours have been fighting an ‘overwhelming infill development for over a year.
City staff were in discussions with the developer for more than six months before we, the neighbourhood, were included in the conversation. And, by then, it was too late.
Some of the residents in our nice, quiet subdivision have been here for more than 25 years. And this is the third development that they have had to fight.
The Official Community Plan will be quoted by staff, to tell you that the city needs development. And these documents indicate that you will be included in the discussion.
Shouldn’t current residents matter more than future taxpayers?
I thought city staff were supposed to look after the residents of their city. Not scare them to death.
There were some very angry residents at that first neighbourhood ‘development information meeting’ in November 2012.
The first proposal came in at 63 three-storey rowhomes. This would have doubled the population of our neighbourhood, and turned our quiet road into a parking lot.
After a year of attending all the city council meetings about the development, this neighbourhood is looking at a compromise of 40 two-storey homes. This is still too many units, with some serious design flaws. And, we do not know what changes will be made throughout the development permit process?
Are there any empty lots in your neighbourhood? Are there several, older, houses next to each other being rented out?
Run, don’t walk, to city hall, and start asking questions. Be tenacious, and don’t stop until you get very precise answers to your very specific questions.
The residents of this neighbourhood would invite you to stand with us at a public hearing, on Tuesday, Oct. 1 – 7 p.m., at Pitt Meadows City Hall.
Help us tell council that there need to be changes made to the system that would allow city staff to be making plans with developers that could significantly affect our neighbourhoods, without giving us a chance to voice our concerns, before it is too late.
Maureen Robertson
Pitt Meadows