Aldergrove could be on the cusp of one of the biggest changes its seen in years.
The proposed redevelopment of the largely dead downtown mall on 272nd Street would be an even bigger change for the community than the new community centre, which just opened over this summer.
Langley Township’s council is up for election. Whomever is sitting in at the council table at the end of October will have responsibility for overseeing the biggest new commercial and residential development to hit Aldergrove in well over a decade.
It could bring in new residents, not just to the edges of town, but right into the centre. It could bring in new shops and services, which have the potential to revitalize the core and draw in rural residents.
Add Aldergrove’s future to the list of major questions that candidates will need to speak on during the current election campaign.
We’ve already got a lot of issues that are coming up for the next council.
Brookswood’s neighbourhood planning process will move ahead. The planned supportive housing at the former Quality Inn will be up for a vote – and it will be far from the last time we hear about the need for low-income housing in the Langleys. Willoughby’s planning is complete, but its development will take decades, and for residents new and old, the devil will be in the details.
Almost every question in Langley circles back to one that could be applied to Aldergrove – how do we manage growth to benefit those here now, and those who are soon to arrive?
– M.C.