I feel for Smithers town council. They’re in the situation that is commonly called ‘a rock and a hard place.’
If it wasn’t enough that they were already facing division in the town between what is fair and what is not in regards to business licenses, they’re at the same time — literally, at the same meeting — handling people who are in favour and not of a proposed demonstration garden on Northern Health property, on an empty plot of land currently zoned residential.
What the medical folks want to do is have the land zoned P-2, essentially a free-for-all zone which allows a whole whack of developments.
What they’re doing is teaming with the Groundbreakers Collective to get this demonstration garden going.
Some nearby property owners are wincing at the prospect, thinking it will do nothing but bring values down through a collection of increased litter, noise, and providing a place for ne’er-do-wells to hang out under the cloak of darkness.
The counter argument is that, well, it’s a garden.
It will be a demonstration garden in that they’ll offer instructional seminars on gardening and products are planned for use in the hospital itself — cut a flower for a loved one, and maybe one day the hospital could use the food grown in their cafeteria.
Councillors are quick to point out that they’re not against gardens, and the question is over zoning and balancing the benefits for homeowners.
And clearly there are more than a few homeowners who don’t see the benefit of such a proposal.
In theory, I can see why those homeowners are worried. There is potential for all of the problems they talk about.
On the other hand, I can’t help but think the worries sound a bit overblown.
The growing network of gardens in this town should be considered an asset to the overall value of Smithers.
A few theoretical problems shouldn’t get in the way of true community benefit.
Cameron Orr is the editor of The Interior News.
