Editor: Regarding the letter (The Times, July 2) authored by Councillor Charlie Fox, “Township council is creating more farmland.”
It appears to me he wants to do nothing more than blame his approval to proceed on these types of projects on the Agricultural Land Commission.
Fox states that the 80 acres on the Tuscan Farm property, then useless land, sat for decades unused and was contaminated with copper wire. So why, back in 2006, did someone pay $4.2 million for a piece of property in such a state — a property valued at approximately $700,000 by B.C. Assessment?
Allowing a subdivision on this property is spot growth over the Hopington aquifer, and is not in keeping with the existing form and character of the neighbouring properties.
As for the Wall property, this is the most bizarre spot growth yet. Fox states that the ecologically sensitive 53 acres being given to the Township are to be preserved as wetland. Is that not what it is today, being adjacent to the Salmon River? We don’t need footpaths next to this ecologically sensitive area.
Fox claims a contribution of $1 million for flood control will come forth from this project. I hope the Township gets this cash up front, before anything goes ahead on this one.
I don’t know enough about the Aldergrove property which is being considered for urban development to offer an informed opinion. However, the wording that the ALC has indicated it would consider an application in order to make Aldergrove a sustainable community scares me.
That statement may mean we could see a lot more of this type of encroachment in the near future.
Any large scale development ends up costing us taxpayers. If this is not so, then why do our taxes keep going up year after year?
Dennis Townsend,
Langley