Editor: Unlike Coun. David Davis, who said he gave the 2017 Brookswood/Fernridge OCP some thought over the past two days, I have been pondering and reading this proposed, then defeated 5-4, OCP for quite some time.
First, I would like it to be known that when council voted it down, it should have stayed down.
I have read the 1987 plan and like a lot of what I see — minimum land size 7,000 square foot lots, the wording for phasing/implementation, and the actual location of future schools and parks.
The defeated 2017 OCP doesn’t have these things in it. It lets developers cut out little postage-sized lots of 5,000 square feet (which the majority of Brookswood/Fernridge does not want). Some people think allowing 5,000 square foot lots is a win for the community.
Now comes the argument from developers, the mayor and some council members, and bleeding hearts people that say, “we need 5,000 square foot lots so our future generations can afford to live here.”
Tell that to the people that grew up in Vancouver. If people want affordable housing with 7,000 square foot lot sizes, simply limit the house foot print size to 25 per cent or smaller, add a legal rental suite (which they will anyway) and there is your affordable house.
A monster house on 5,000 square feet isn’t going to be any more affordable than if it was on a 7,000 square foot chunk.
Now the Township of Langley owns some juicy land in the area of question, that must be set aside for either parks, future schools or provide affordable rental apartments for people on disability, or seniors on low incomes, period.
I believe this mayor has plans for those lands already, and has been pushing this OCP through for a reason that I believe involves the sale and or development of that land that isn’t in this community’s best interest.
Cedar Creek Mobile Home Park, this quiet piece of tranquility, must be designated MH1, and protected in whatever plan moves forward, period.
These past four must-have amendments, must be included in this 2017 OCP or it is my belief, that it (should) be torn up.
This is Brookswood/Fernridge’s plan, it is not Jack Froese’s plan, it is not Blair Whitmarsh’s plan, it is not the planner’s plan — this plan is our plan.
We make the rules and council simply implements them. I just hope they realize that fact, and once and for all, do what the majority actually wants, instead of thinking about their own agenda, because that is why they were elected.
They need not forget that.
Scott Thompson,
Langley
