Shot in the foot
Editor,
Who loaded the gun that shot Squamish in the foot?
You may not feel the injury yet but as it explodes into your reality the pain will be very real.
Your plan to develop the Downtown Waterfront has been hyjaked and if the damage done is not remediated it is going to cost your community millions and sink you into stagnation with a resounding debt.
You, the citizen, created the Concept Plan using one of the most comprehensive community inclusive processes used by any community in BC. Literally hundreds of citizens, through a series of workshops, were involved. It was superbly facilitated by the Frasesr Basin Council. Much of the funding and design expertise was found, by the facilitator, from sources other than your local tax base, from outside your community, a gift to a community that appeared to be moving into the future with long term thinking. This was an opportunity other communities dream of having. And you are squandering it. Qualex-Landmark, has walked away, unable to accept what has transpired.
After an extensive and thorough search for the right developing partner, again 2 public forums for approval, the next step was the Master Plan. Qualex-Landmark would be responsible for the cost, an estimated 1.5 million. They would pay off any outstanding debt of The Squamish Oceanfront Development Corp, leaving it debt free! They would be holding public forums allowing full public particiipation in the Plan. The District Planning Dept would be in charage at all times. The partnership could be dissolved at any time if there is no agreement on the land-use Plan. And compensation to the District for the purchase of the property and for amenities etc was to be more than average. Nothing was to move until full approval.
With all this protection in place, with opportunity for all to be heard why is it being thrown away? There is no Plan B. To start over will cost you millions and it is not likely you woulfd find an interested developer after seeing an elected member of your council publicly tear up an agreement.
Why should those who think there iswill be enough revitalization of big industry to sustain your future destroy your plans? That amount of industry isn't coming. You need to diversify with balanced planning and that is what was well under way. Your past Mayor should have recognized the imminent dangers and the staggering debts you are going to incur if it all ends here.I hope you can turn this around. If not your proverbial foot is going to hurt like you can't imagine.
Barb Strachan
Mission
Councillor's behaviour 'insulting'
Editor,
It is with deep regret that I feel compelled to write relative to the lack of judgement , the injustice and the insulting way Councillor Jenson behaved at the Council meeting 17.10.2006, by tearing up in public what appeared to bethe MOUdocument which many others and I spent a lot of volunteer time attempting to makebest possible in the best interest for the futureof Squamish.
Others believe like me that his actionhave caused irreppearable damage for years to come and the community will beworse off for it.
I feel he owes me and all concerned in Squamish an apology for behaviour not becoming a trusted person in his position.
Tom Bruusgaard
Squamish
Thanks for time, commitment
Dear Mayor and Council,
Three years ago a group of community volunteers were brought together to determine the most suitable method to develop a community-owned piece of land, and develop that land in the best interest of the community as a whole. With expertise in heavy industry, education, communications, small business, environmental sciences, light industry, real estate and development, community economic development, marine industry, and First Nations, these volunteers analyzed all of the possibilities to move forward with this land from a planning standpoint, a financial standpoint, an environmental standpoint, and, most importantly, a community standpoint. After three years, the best method was finally determined.
After exhaustive community consultation, we have now witnessed some opposition. One person said to me: "We should sub-divide the land and sell off each parcel." I thought, wow, then the community would lose ownership of that land and not see the profit from each improved unit sold. Profit which could be used to build an ice arena without having to get a loan or beg for money from the federal government. Or, maybe we could have a reduction in our property taxes. In addition, subdivision would probably lead to a mish-mosh of sub-standard buildings and leaky condominiums, and less park space than our community-driven development idea.
Someone else asked me to sign a petition for a big park on that land. I thought where is our tax revenue from a big park? This developer wants to have 33% park space, beach and board walk, not to mention a lot of other community amenities, mixed industry and some residential units that have been planned using green design and sustainable development methods. In 100 years, those buildings will still look good.
Then, someone else told me they think there should be a whole bunch of oil silos down there. I thought the community would really come together to stop that.
Now, we are at a crossroads. Rejected or not? Rejected means we spend another three years of community-volunteer time analyzing what we should do with a community-owned piece of land to most likely come to the same conclusion in 2009 as we have already done. The Olympics will be staring us in the face and the only thing the sleepy town of Squamish will have to show the world is a big 60-acre dirt lot.
In closing, I'd like to thank all of the dedicated community board members that put three years of volunteer time towards the future of this community.
G. Clarke
Garibaldi Highlands
Lessons to be learned
Editor,
I am very disappointed in the ultimate failure of joint venture of former Nexen lands now under municipal ownership.
Regardless of where the fault lies, there are lessons of which we must be mindful if we wish to achieve desired results in the future.
Irrespectiveof the level of emotional intensity that part of the community may have with the site, Council can not arbitrarily impose conditions which are not in keeping with the economic reality. For example,one of the conditions imposed was to require 1/3rd of the land at the south end to be reserved for open space to accommodate civic uses including a facility for Arts and Culture.This contrasts with only five per cent open space requirement (under the appropriateregulations)for privately owned lands any where in the District.
Whilecouncil's imposed condition was well intentioned,the justification must be accompanied by feasibility reports answering some basic questionsincluding the level of funding required for capital construction and annual maintenance of such development/s. These costs would be in the order tens of millions of dollars.
Where would the funding come from for capital costs- the lastreferendumon an initiative of borrowing showed that Squamish has little appetite to support capital borrowing.
Assuming that certain capital facilities get built- Does Squamish has the ability to budget for the maintenance of large civic projects. In light of all the existing infrastructure priorities ( eg.flood protection, maintenance of roads, ditching and drainage improvements in the downtown) the existing tax revenues do not allow to add on new facilities.New tax revenuescan be generated only through new property assessment. Every new 1 million dollars of tax revenues would require additional development representing equivalent of $100 millions of new commercial assessment.
In light of these realities, no matter when or who prepares a land use plan, it will not materialize unless the market demands and District's own financial capabilities are factored in appropriately.
Finally, a word of thanks to the members of the SODC who gave their valuable time and collective expertise in bringing forward a unique concept of joint venture, which if given a chance, would have achieved significant positive results for Squamish.
Mohammad Afsar
Squamish
Survey was misleading
This email to Council members re: the Oceanfront survey results reported in the Friday 13 was copied to for publication.
Of the 301 people polled by Qualex on Sept 22-24, fully 48 had not "heard about the Oceanfront issue". The MOU was first available to the public on the SODC website on Wednesday September 20. It should be no surprise that only 72 had read about the MOU in , probably in the two page ads placed on consecutive weekends by SODC/Qualex/ and the DOS which were promotional materials 100 per cent in favour of the MOU.
The MOU document itself was very heavy going for any who managed to understand it on Thursday, before the weekend survey! The survey was also completed before any of the "public forums" on Sept 26, Oct 2 and Oct 10.
At each of these forums the "head table" has been comprised of officers of SODC and Qualex, and the majority of time has been spent by these individuals extolling the benefits and quelling the limited number of concerns that have been accepted for discussion.
Qualex marketing vice president Chris Colbeck does not speak for the "silent majority" from his sheltered spot within the small and tight SODC/Qualex mindset.
The silent majority have finally obtained some factual information with which to make reasoned decisions on the issue. As noted in the open-ended question, "What community issue is of most concern?": overdevelopment, lack of employment, environmental protection and housing affordability are ranked in that order. Now that "the gag order is lifted" per SODC Chair Larry Murray, let's have full community involvement in transparent planning and invite the developers back to town when we have got it straight.
Pat Brown
Squamish
Negativity to change worrisome
Editor,
I'm disappointed with what transpired with the Nexon Lands and Qualex's decision to pull out. Many, many people have spent countless hours on this project for at least two years. The vision for downtown Squamish and what it has the potential to be, has even been going on that much longer. When I moved here 16 years ago, it was easy to see that this town wasn't going to stay little forever. The vision back in those days was that we weren't going to be a strip development town, like so many other towns and cities in B.C... Well a few years ago a referendum was done and the majority of the town said "yes" to Walmart. Now we have a huge asphalt parking lot where we used to have beautiful trees. We are growing. Our beautiful little town is being discovered and will continue to be as each year goes by and then there is the Olympics.
It's the negativity to change in this town that bothers me, and the belief that so many people seem to believe that everyone has their own agenda's so they allow their negativity to fuel their energy to destroy any of the positive growth and new ideas that our town leaders are trying to come up with.
I believe that this idea is making us all victims. It makes us live in fear, and in a state where we refuse to trust our fellow man. I believe, and I must, in order to function in a positive way, that most people are good people. I believe that most people want to do their best, that most people spend their countless hours of volunteering and getting involved in their communities with a hope that they can make things better.
The Nexon lands are an eyesore. The land will have to be developed some day. "Oh, it's too fast" some people say. "Oh, industry and residential can't co-exist" says others. "I hate Ian Sutherland" say even more. I find it all so petty. I'd love to know how many of the negative people in this town actually try to get involved with projects at the grass roots.
Imagine a world or a town like Squamish, where all the energy that is spent on negativity, could be channeled into positive ideas with hope and with faith. Imagine a town where people aren't afraid to work on dreams. A town where people realize once we've done our homework at some point we have to go on good faith and trust in our fellow man.
I congratulate all the people who were involved in trying to make their vision a reality. I thank each of you for everything you try to do for this town. I want to apologize for all the people who try to make life miserable for all you. Thanks for having the guts to put yourselves out there, especially with all the criticism you encounter day in and day out. I hope you keep caring about this town enough to keep trying.
Caroline Shortreed
Brackendale
