Dear Editor:
As worthy a project as the North Shore Support Recovery House is, let us look at the value of the proposed development site adjacent to Murdo Frazer Park as it is (Recovery centre to get petition vote, Dec. 5, North Shore News).
Although not zoned as part of the park, this lovely little piece of wild and feral land lends to the park's overall character and integrity. Take it away, and you encroach upon what is truly a well-preserved remnant of forest that has miraculously survived the axe.
As a local resident of Pemberton Heights and a frequent park user, I greatly value this chunk of green space and make it a part of my routine walk. I'm sure many other park enthusiasts do as well. In fact, rezoning and protecting this parcel of land as an official part of Murdo Frazer Park would be ideal.
As socially beneficial as the recovery house will be, developing this sensitive land will increase noise, light, parking congestion and traffic in the ill-suited immediate area. It will also compromise the riparian zone of nearby Mackay Creek, diminish the sanctuary local residents enjoy and contribute to the already existing hazards of the too-short Highway 1 on-and off-ramps at Lloyd Avenue.
A women's recovery center is important to have, no question; it deserves to be built somewhere. But this is most definitely not the place. Let us counter-intuitively suppress our need for expansion here and find a more sustainable location for this centre and at the same time preserve this valuable piece of natural heritage that distinguishes the District of North Vancouver from the City of North Vancouver.
Charles Langdon North Vancouver
