Editor: Like so many in Fort Langley, I was left shocked and incredulous at the recent court decision on Coulter Berry. This has not been a project that was rushed through by any means.
Public meetings, information sessions, expert opinions and two nights of public hearings concluded with an informed and almost unanimous council decision for the project to go ahead. The developer began the project this summer and over 200 people enthusiastically attended the ground breaking. The hole for a two-storey underground garage has been excavated and hundreds of thousands of dollars invested.
The town needs this project. And we are lucky to have a developer who is prepared to build the only LEED Gold multi-use building in B.C.
And, contrary to popular belief, it is not the only three-storey building to be approved on Glover Road. There have been others. Not only is a big hole in the ground for years to come an unacceptable prospect, but our reputation as a place to invest is also at stake.
The judge apparently thought there was some legal technical reason to overturn the council’s decision. This is not a time to rework the project to make the judge happy. The project has been reworked many times already.
It is time for council to amend the bylaws or other legal impediments, within its powers to correct the problem. The judge interprets laws. He does not speak for the people of Langley — council does.
The project in its current form has already been approved. I implore council to act decisively and do whatever is necessary, with all dispatch,to get the workers back on the job and let the proponent get on with the important task of helping us build Fort Langley for the future.
Darcy Rezac,
Fort Langley
