Dear Editor,
Two Important Issues were scheduled on the same agenda on March 31, dealing with the money and lives of two communities, seemed to be pre-planned.
After many hours of crowded public meetings regarding the passing of the recent OCP and Guidelines for the Langley community of Brookswood and the spot zoning for development of the Coulter Berry Building in Fort
Langley, Township council debate ended in what seemed to be pre-planned decisions.
The new OCP for Brookswood was, rightly, turned down and sent back to be redone at taxpayers’ expense, whereas the Fort Langley spot zoning was, wrongly, passed against the Official Community Plan and Heritage Guidelines for the profit of one developer.
To remedy the situation in historic Fort Langley, there will possibly be another lawsuit at the expense of taxpayers or representatives of the community, and the new Brookswood Official Community Plan and community guidelines will now have to be paid for, as well, by the taxpayer.
And the Griffith development group may still have to be repaid, as per agreement by the municipality – the taxpayer again – for their work on the proposed and defeated plan.
Add to the above that council voted that there will be no protection of the heritage covenanted area of the historic Fort Langley village for the future – it should be of great concern to the residents and the tourist industry.
This situation should be dealt with immediately, as it seems to set a dangerous precedent for all communities and their citizens.
Bays Blackhall, Langley