Some people will be astonished, others will shrug a so-what shrug, and still others will never be satisfied.
But the past months of furor over development proposals for Fort Langley and Brookswood/Fernridge are finally at an end – and both, though they ended differently, have probably ended exactly the way they should.
It turns out that the process didn’t work so badly, after all. Democracy survives, a little battered, a little bruised, but relatively unscathed. And if rational heads dare to prevail in both areas, any healing needed is likely to be quick… and complete.
Fort Langley’s heritage proponents’ concerns have been duly noted. And in the eyes of the majority, they have been reasonably addressed.
By all accounts, the Coulter Berry building is likely to become the centrepiece of the village, and not only for its sheer size (which will undoubtedly rankle with some folks for as long as they care to be obstinate about it), but for the progressive design and styling that made the proposal attractive to the solid majority of residents who stood up in its support. Surely, even its detractors will have to admit that it will be an improvement over the “heritage hole†created by a delaying lawsuit.
Meanwhile, the citizens of Brookswood and Fernridge who less stridently, but with equal strength of purpose built a rational and formidable opposition to a proposal that a solid majority found unpalatable, persevered in turning away development that they simply did not want.
Not everybody is entirely happy with the results. But the Township council is to be commended for not drawing out the process any longer, and making decisions that, in the final analysis, make sense for both of the affected communities.
It’s democracy: words have been spoken, and elected officials have taken responsibility for the final outcome.
Now it’s time for neighbours – and in many cases, old friends – to shake hands and unruffle some feathers.
– B.G.