Editor: Re: Brookswood/Fernridge development naysayers.
Some people just don’t want any development and have organized groups to unrealistically oppose everything.
The misinformation being proclaimed is also confusing and not helpful in trying to understand the complex process.
The critics appear to be complaining about the brightest, most positive results so far proposed.
The three recent proposals received under the existing 1987 Community Plan, all proposing 7,000 square-foot (and larger) residential single family lots, is great for families.
It just isn’t going to get any more generous than that in today’s world. Future OCP updates will likely accommodate smaller lot sizes.
The existing 10,000 square-foot Brookswood (developed area) lots were oversized to accommodate septic systems (over the aquifer) and wasted a lot of land. Had the area been serviced with sewers, the lots would have been smaller.
To call this ‘spot zoning’ is disingenuous as the subdivision lots being proposed comply with the 1987 Community Plan’s ‘residential single family’ plan map.
Some people are under the wrong assumption that there was a moratorium on any development in Brookswood/Fernridge.
Not so, as there were three neighbourhood plan proposals that did not proceed for reasons due to servicing constraints, not moratorium.
However, on June 7, 2004, when council considered the highpoint development, a notice of motion (Resolution of Council) was passed which basically required updating of the Community Plan prior to consideration of new developments.
The continued validity of this Resolution of Council has issues. One of which is, an R/C cannot have an indefinite effective life span and is expected to be addressed within a reasonable period of time of, say, six to 18 months.
Another is an R/C cannot trump or supersede an adopted bylaw such as a Community Plan.
In my opinion, the 1987 Community Plan is still generally good and minor updates could improve it.
Roland Seguin,
Fernridge
