Anna Remenik, running for mayor of Langley Township, sees most of the community’s problems as coming from too much density without a plan.
Homelessness, crime, crowded schools, shortage of doctors, and lack of housing are all linked, she said.
On specific issues, Remenik said the Township can’t keep building roads “piece by piece by piece,” as 208th Street in Willoughby is being developed.
“I think we need a different model for that,” Remenik said. She wants to see whole blocks built at once, including sidewalks and roads.
If development ever falters, some roads could be left half-built for years, she noted.
First known for opposing the Brookswood Official Community Plan update that was approved last year, Remenik believes development there may still have to be stopped.
“That’s really sad, that that OCP’s in place now,” she said, saying there had been no environmental consideration on the impact of that much planned development on the local aquifer.
Remenik would like to see a full study of the aquifer.
“We definitely need to know what that area can sustain,” she said.
If the aquifer can’t deal with it, the Township legally couldn’t move forward, she said.
Proposed and approved towers in the Willoughby area on 200th Street are a concern for Remenik, who said she isn’t sure how traffic from them will be mitigated.
And echoing her concerns about Brookswood, she said she worries development could damage the aquifers underlying Willoughby.
“How much more damage are we going to do?” she said.
With marijuana legalization just days away, Remenik said the Township should look at what other communities are doing on rules for retail shops, rather than reinvent the wheel.
She also opposes industrial pot growing on ALR land, where ground is paved over.
On the issue of the Quality Inn supportive housing project, Remenik said she’s aware of the pushback from neighbours of the site.
“We need buy in from everyone,” she said, and an approach that makes everyone involved happy.
She would consider the pros and cons of a municipal police force replacing the Langley RCMP, but said she wasn’t a big fan of the idea.
“I think we have to look at the difference in cost,” Remenik said.
Finally, in the wake of a dispute over one sitting Township councillor’s business bidding on a Township contract, Remenik said that councillors, mayor, and staff shouldn’t be allowed to bid on Township projects at all.