Langley residents will soon get a chance to tell the Township how to improve the way they are consulted about planning and development proposals.
The Mayor’s Standing Committee on Public Engagement has announced three “drop-in, interactive events” in Willoughby, Aldergrove and Brookswood:
• Tuesday, Oct. 20, 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the Banquet Room of the Langley Events Centre in Willoughby, 7888 200 St.
• Thursday, Oct. 22, 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Aldergrove Kinsmen Community Centre, 26770 29 Ave.
• Saturday, Oct. 24, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the ABC Room of the George Preston Recreation Centre in Brookswood, 20699 42 Ave.
The committee was appointed by Mayor Jack Froese to improve consultation with the public on planning and development issues.
During the municipal election, Froese promised to overhaul communication with residents in the wake of last year’s bitter battle over a proposal to increase housing density in the semi-rural Brookswood neighbourhood.
After several public hearings dominated by opponents of the plan, Township council voted it down at an April meeting, overriding the mayor and the only councillor who backed the proposal, Grant Ward (who lost his seat in the November election).
The Township announcement of the events says members of the public can drop in any time during the open houses to offer their thoughts on how they would like to better engage with the Township on these issues, and to learn what other municipalities are doing to connect with their residents.
“Population growth and development in the Township are important topics that affect all of us, and the community deserves a voice in the decisions being made,” Froese said.
“We need your ideas on how to improve how we engage during these processes, and these open houses are a great opportunity for residents to provide their ideas and opinions.”
People can also connect with members of the standing committee by email at engage@tol.ca or online at tol.ca/engagetol.
Information collected at the open houses, website, emails, research, and other sources will be analyzed by Modus, a consulting firm specializing in planning, design, and community engagement and used to form a new development engagement policy for Township Council to consider in late fall.
