Dear Editor:
If there is to be a new stand-alone community in the City of North Vancouver will it be shaped by the ones who profit or by the ones who will have to foot the bill to make it work?
On July 18, 2011 the City of North Vancouver's council voted unanimously to support the formation of a Harbourside Task Force. This would hopefully mirror the successful Marine Drive Task Force that finally moved forward what was a stagnant area in the city.
This Monday (Jan. 23), Brook Pooni Associates will be pushing that council move the Harbourside OCP amendment directly to the rezoning process, bypassing the option of a true, open task force. At the same time the city is asking its residents to be involved in CityShaping (see www.cnv.org/CityShaping).
Why would Harbourside be left out of this process? The long term ramifications and liabilities to the residents could be staggering. That is why it should be community-driven and not developer-driven.
How can we truly shape a city when the only way we can have input is in reacting to a proposal in the last hour? We must have honest input from the start.
At this time what has been brought forward to this stage by the developer has been onesided. This has never been addressed by council and that is why the task force option is what must be followed through with at this time. It made sense in July of 2011 and it makes even more sense now.
Ron Polly North Vancouver
