Dear Editor,
Your article [No easy fix for all parking problems in Willoughby, June 26, Langley Advance] states that a parking “report†(which is a waste of money) claims there is ample parking because they noticed that some of the driveways are empty.
If cars are in the garages of the houses, then owners can’t have the suites park in the driveway, blocking them in. It’s irrelevant if some people choose to use their garages or not; they can’t have the suite tenants blocking in the owners’ cars.
Remember that homeowners are now charged fees and 30 per cent more taxes for having suites – so council cannot claim parking is not their issue. They know about, charge for, and in fact, encourage suites in these new houses as “affordable housing,†therefore the designs of the neighbourhoods need to accommodate the suites, including parking.
Councils’ comments are laughable to date:
• Transit – what transit?
• Half-width roads are fully developed (come look).
• Per above, some driveways are not used so cars are not blocked in garages.
Councillors need to use their own brains, they don’t need to waste money on reports when the public is telling them the simple, obvious stuff.
Time to develop with a plan (OCP) that works for society, including tenants of suites, not just developers, their profits, and “ironic revenues†which cause our taxes to rise each year.
High density needs proper parking and schools. Until council can provide that, please pause development and make better plans.
Mike MacDonald, Langley