Your headline posted Feb 1, “District of Squamish addresses concerns over Dentville project at Open House” is at best misleading.
Where to start?
This contentious development that is requesting to be dropped directly in the heart of the neighbourhood has been a sour apple since day one. Without getting lost too far in the details of the history of this lacklustre proposal, the aforementioned headline did very little to address the communities’ concerns.
To begin with, notice for the meeting was emailed to a couple of residents living in the neighbourhood with under a week’s notice, and asked that those long-time tax-paying residents spread the word on behalf of the District. This is unfortunate, given the planning department had the email addresses of the 50+ residents who had written in opposition to the proposal.
Council had mandated as part of the first reading that the planning department do more outreach with the neighbourhood, given they haven’t had time or resources in the past to put together a neighbourhood plan. What the neighbourhood received was an open house where the developer had some half-drawn plans that showed they rescinded their request for a one-metre variance from the neighbour to the standard three, and a slight bump in the height of the garages. Outside of that, the developer still wishes to drop a cookie-cutter development directly into the heart of a well-established historical neighbourhood.
The four legal lots in question could potentially be subdivided into six, but it didn’t seem that the planning department had really fleshed out how and what that might look like in time for the presentation, which is unfortunate because that four to six number is really the deal breaker for the whole proposal.
What the neighbourhood would like, and deserves to see, is a rough design with dimensions of what could possibly be built on those lots if they were subdivided under the current RS1 zoning, which our province has literally stuffed into every neighbourhood’s yard. If, at that point, the development proved more attractive to the neighbourhood, it should proceed with the highest scrutiny in terms of form and character.
Things like green walls, LEED design, and other showpiece items should be put in place to enhance the existing community rather than detract from it with what’s currently been proposed. We should not be selling our neighbourhood’s souls out from underneath their feet to any developer who comes along, and when those developments do, they should be done in such a way that truly elevates a neighbourhood rather than the alternative.
Eric Armour
Squamish
Editor’s note: Asked about how the community was notified about the open house, the District said the following: “As a courtesy, staff emailed the open house details to all those who had previously emailed comments regarding the proposed development. Efforts were also made to reach the community through The Squamish Chief newspaper [ads] (Jan. 23 and 30), social media (including a Facebook event created on Jan. 23) and District newsletter (Jan. 24).”
