1. What is the most important issue facing the Township, and how would you propose to deal with it?
I would say that many of the issues the Township of Langley faces stem from a lack of acknowledgement, of the value of public consultation and feedback in regard to matters of growth and development.
I believe there needs to be a re-focus on public consultation and involvement in the planning and development process. Had the public been more involved and engaged over the past few years, we would have been able to avoid a large amount of the community upset regarding the Brookswood OCP and litigation regarding a variety of issues.
2 - Should there be restrictions on development in Willoughby until the situation regarding funding for new schools has been resolved?
Not restrictions but changes to new developments moving forward. I would prefer that there be a more natural approach where increased Development Cost Charges (DCC’s), and the implementation of Cost Amenity Charges (CAC’s), are applied in order to provide the infrastructure and revenue to communities in a pro-active manner.
3 - Do you support a pool and recreation centre complex in Aldergrove, and if so, when should construction begin? If not, why not?
Yes, absolutely. I cannot say when construction could begin due to conflicting information I have heard regarding the financial feasibility of the project and the resources available to generate revenue.
Quite often Township of Langley land sale revenue is cited as being the largest contributor to a project such as this. Despite a number of land sales over the past few years, it was stated recently that it “will be the job of the next council to come up with the money.” If there is a find set aside containing the revenue from the previous land sales, I would need to assess it before making any decisions of a probable timeline.
4- What type of development, if any, should be encouraged in a new community plan for Brookswood and Fernridge?
Whatever amount of change is made moving forward needs to be community driven and widely publicized.
Sustaining the quality of life, and livability, of existing residents in future development areas needs to be a higher priority. Sustainability means valuing what you have and preserving it as the community moves forward. A collaborative approach is recommended in the Township of Langley’s Sustainability Charter and it needs to be used.