Dear Editor,
It appears that neither the developer nor council are interested in looking for a compromise to the Coulter Berry mess.
After reading through the compromise proposal, it seems quite clear there is something for everyone. Most importantly, it offered a chance for the community to come together and get the project moving again.
Without doubt the developer would have to consider a longer-term investment and a smaller bottom line. However, at the moment, the property sits vacant and is an eyesore in the community, and according to the developer’s website, may be that way indefinitely.
One would seriously question why a council would not at least have staff do a quick analysis of the numbers before voting to reject the concept. There are many instances in other communities that have utilized the same type of strategy with great success.
You have to wonder at a comment like Kim Richter’s, “Tell them we’re not interested,†and how exactly that helps anyone make any progress in any direction. I read that and it tells me they just want to fight and have zero interest in trying to find any work-together solution.
I hope some more careful thought is put into this strategy, or if not, at least investigate other options that offer a reasonable solution.
The overall damage of the ongoing litigation, the loss of tourist revenue if the “eyesore†becomes a permanent fixture, and the fracture this has caused in the community is not a positive at all. I hope council will look for answers to the problem outside of making lawyers wealthier and tearing Fort Langley apart any further.
My fear is that they will take the route of removing those troublesome bylaws, and they will consider changing the zoning or Official Community Plan for Fort Langley and remove the only protective measures that has kept Fort Langley and its continued development and improvement in scale with the unique, small-village atmosphere that has made it so successful as a tourist and movie-making destination.
George T. Otty, Fort Langley