Re: Potential abounds for Allandale pit site (Gazette, July 6)
It sounds again like Colwood wants to change the official community plan to suit the City, not to serve longtime residents.
Mayor Carol Hamilton states that there is not much surrounding development. This is, and has been since around 1971, a residential area where a lot of families live.
Many residents have lived here 30 or 40 years, supporting Colwood when others didn’t wish to travel the infamous Colwood Crawl. Many citizens served in the military and made Colwood home, and raised families who are now raising their own families.
Myself, I have lived here 20 years and raised three kids. We moved here for the rural lifestyle and chose Colwood because we like the trees and the friendly neighbours, you know, a safe community where kids play and residents walk.
By comparison, Langford has kept up a 30-per-cent growth rate for years, with its growing pains including an increase in crime, accidents on the roadways, loss of doctors and unrelenting traffic.
I have always loved coming home to the peace and quiet of Colwood, a community that has relied for years on residents volunteering, including its firemen. These are good citizens who make Colwood a safe, friendly city.
We got little return for our property taxes for years, but we did that because we enjoyed the rural life. It has started changing fast. Ugly walls have sprung up and where there were trees, hundreds of houses and condos are popping up.
My neighbourhood is to be fully developed, but I propose the city not change the area so drastically. No 40-foot towers, heavy industrial or big-box stores.
This is a residential area and to turn the tables on the people who made Colwood is a crime. While the newcomers will outnumber us in a short couple of years, I ask for acknowledgement from the City that we still count.
Let the business park be near the city’s core, not next to residential areas. Keep the community strong and safe for all ages, including aging veterans. Growth is good for us all, but we do not want to follow Langford’s example.
Let’s keep some of the Colwood charm.
Jean Elliott
Colwood
