Editor: I was puzzled to see that Langley Township council was so accommodating in approving residential development at the site of the Trinity Western University, a private university. From what I understand, this property is in the Agricultural Land Reserve and outside the Metro Vancouver growth strategy area. I am sure that, from Trinity Western’s perspective, there is a need for this housing.
Many of our rural elementary schools have been closed, due to declining enrolments, over the past few years. These schools were located in areas where expensive larger acreage properties are the norm.
I wonder if these schools would still be open if council showed the same consideration to property owners located next to these schools and allowed affordable housing to be built. Surely this would have brought young families with children into these areas.
These rural schools had served their communities for decades. One might even say that they were the foundations of the communities they were located in. After all, when we first moved into the Salmon River Uplands area, the first people we met, other than our immediate neighbours, were the parents of other kids at our children’s school.
I wonder how the people living in the areas that were once serviced by Bradhaw Elementary, County Line Elementary, South Carvolth Elementary and other schools that are on the chopping block feel about council ignoring their communities’ needs, while accommodating this very successful private university.
Our family lives on three acres a couple of properties away from Peterson Road Elementary, which has struggled with declining student enrolment in the past. We are not in the ALR and are in the catchment area for sewer and water. As a result of Langley’s planning policy, we are only allowed one residence on our property.
On the positive side, our grandkids are within walking distance of their school and Peterson Road should be able to stay open now that they are busing in kids from all of the other schools that have been closed.
So much for supporting all of the different communities in Langley. I guess we will all be expected to live within a mile of 200 Street in the future. The oil companies must love these planning policies with all the students being bused or driven from the closed schools and all the cars idling on 200 Street.
Tod McGovern,
Langley
