Re: Vicarro Ranch development
As reported in the news, I along with others took the opportunity to express concerns about this large residential development, especially its negative impact on a beautiful area, home to many threatened species. So, I want to publicly express my disappointment, that before we were hardly out the building a unanimous vote was taken and the project approved.
To whose benefit? Not the city, as I learned at another development’s open house chaired by Carson Noftle. I was told that it costs the city for each single family home built. Since cost development charges don’t appear to provide for all the added costs for sewer, water, storm, schools, parks, garbage, police, fire, etc., tax increases will follow.
So, who benefits? Not the environment, for regardless of protected areas and stream setbacks, these areas often are too small to sustain a healthy population of species over time, especially when not connected by adequate corridors to the larger natural green spaces.
The message is quite clear that though the city provided the legally required opportunity for community input, in the end all the concerns expressed, along with copies given to staff, did not warrant further discussion or second thought.
Given many developers habit to name their development after the soon to be extirpated species from the area to be developed such as Eagle Mountain, Falcon Ridge, etc., using the same logic I have some street name suggestions: Phantom Orchid Boulevard, Mountain Beaver Avenue, Pacific Waterleaf Street, Red-Legged Frog Drive, Peregrine Falcon Road, etc. etc.
My suggestion to the city is that if it values citizen input it ought to at least give careful consideration to input, given otherwise they make a mockery of the process. But more importantly, unless the city’s vision is not limited to a growth strategy that disregards the cost to the environment, the health and livability of our region is at risk for all that lives here.
Hank Roos, Abbotsford
As reported in the news, I along with others took the opportunity to express concerns about this large residential development, especially its negative impact on a beautiful area, home to many threatened species. So, I want to publicly express my disappointment, that before we were hardly out the building a unanimous vote was taken and the project approved.
To whose benefit? Not the city, as I learned at another development’s open house chaired by Carson Noftle. I was told that it costs the city for each single family home built. Since cost development charges don’t appear to provide for all the added costs for sewer, water, storm, schools, parks, garbage, police, fire, etc., tax increases will follow.
So, who benefits? Not the environment, for regardless of protected areas and stream setbacks, these areas often are too small to sustain a healthy population of species over time, especially when not connected by adequate corridors to the larger natural green spaces.
The message is quite clear that though the city provided the legally required opportunity for community input, in the end all the concerns expressed, along with copies given to staff, did not warrant further discussion or second thought.
Given many developers habit to name their development after the soon to be extirpated species from the area to be developed such as Eagle Mountain, Falcon Ridge, etc., using the same logic I have some street name suggestions: Phantom Orchid Boulevard, Mountain Beaver Avenue, Pacific Waterleaf Street, Red-Legged Frog Drive, Peregrine Falcon Road, etc. etc.
My suggestion to the city is that if it values citizen input it ought to at least give careful consideration to input, given otherwise they make a mockery of the process. But more importantly, unless the city’s vision is not limited to a growth strategy that disregards the cost to the environment, the health and livability of our region is at risk for all that lives here.
Hank Roos, Abbotsford
