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Letter: Langley development too fast and furious

Dear Editor,

I am concerned by development in my area, Yorkson, as well as other areas of Langley. The Township is open for business and there are no limits on what can be developed.

I understand the need to accommodate the influx of new residents, and we live in a desirable area, but if you don’t over-develop, all those people don’t come.

Look at the mess in Clayton and tell me that has worked out positively.

Education Minister Peter Fassbender has defended the use of portables at a newly built middle school, like it was okay. The school is already full, and there are more new homes, apartments, townhomes, and rowhomes being built which will become the new family homes in the future. Where are those kids going to go?

Then you also have mixed density development.

I grew up in Panorama Ridge, where we all had backyards on open spaces to play. We were not surrounded by 500 apartments, townhomes, and row homes, which create more affordable homes for first-time buyers and young families, but also create a reduced quality of life, with more noise, pressure on infrastructure, and overall tension between neighbours.

I am living in a detached home now, as I am lucky to have a combined family income to afford it, but I have lived in a townhome and condo in Langley and Clayton. I was always tense and disappointed that my home wasn’t my oasis.

Now there is planning for development in Brookswood and near Trinity Western University. Why? Those areas are underdeveloped for a reason.

TWU is a university for a small demographic of society. It is located in an area that for no reason needs more services or expansion.

Does it even make money?

And its policies could be interpreted as discriminatory by some.

Now let’s go wipe out old growth forests in Brookswood, since we have not touched that area yet.

Why must we?

We need to protect the character of our city. We don’t live in Vancouver, for a reason.

Sean Ploss, Willoughby