Dear Editor,
Are we living in a democracy, or a Third World dictatorship where a well-heeled developer, aided by a smooth team of advisors, can convince most of our Council to defy their own bylaws?
The Coulter Berry proposal – first or second – ignores the Fort Langley Community Plan and the Heritage Conservation provisions which are there to protect the heritage atmosphere of our village for residents, businesses, and visitors.
The recent Supreme Court decision pointed out the error of council’s ways, but instead of doing the right thing by enforcing compliance with the guidelines, council is now going to appeal the court decision that ruled its actions illegal, and spend an even greater amount of taxpayers’ money on litigation.
It takes a courageous person to admit one’s mistakes and honestly work to correct them, but this does not seem to be council’s intention at the moment.
Sometime down the road, we may decide to revisit the Fort Langley Community Plan to discuss possible changes. That would entail extensive public consultation with a number of interest groups.
Until that happens, this proposal should not go forward. The question is not whether we prefer Coulter Berry One or Two, but whether we support democracy and the principles of due process.
Lotte Elias, Langley