Dear Editor:
I live near the Harry Jerome Community Recreation Centre, which some present councillors would like rebuilt at a cost of $60 million. In their view, the funds would come from selling Norsemen field and track and other parkland to developers who would be allowed to construct a village of high rises and townhouses with about 800,000 square feet of new residential units.
As municipal elections approach, one lesson learned is that a good councillor is one who can listen to residents rather than one who tries to impose what he/she thinks is "best" for the citizenry.
When neighborhood residents appeared before council to ask for consideration of renovation of Harry Jerome rather than a $60 million rebuild, they were met with counter-arguments and glares of contempt. We tried to be helpful, pointing out that University of British Columbia is renovating its aging buildings with a projected savings of $470 million over the period of 2004 to 2023. We told council how Chilliwack did a major renovation of a substandard recreation centre for $9 million. We provided the name and contact information for the Chilliwack project manager. We were not thanked for our efforts, but told flatly by the pro-development councillors that renovation is impossible. We were never told why. We also asked for financial information to assure that in the case of developer default, we city taxpayers would not end up with an Olympic Village North Vancouver scenario. We never received that information.
Listen to what candidates are saying, but keep an eye out as well for how receptive they are to citizen opinions because, in the end, that is what will count.
Rosemary Eng, North Vancouver
