Dear editor:
I am a lifelong resident of North Vancouver who has followed the long, arduous process of rezoning Delbrook Lands since the districtwide Delbrook Dialogue in 2015-’16.
The July 2019 survey showed districtwide support of four storeys of housing plus respite.
The Delbrook Lands group were absent from the council meeting July 22. Listening to residents of East 29th Street on July 22, who will have a major impact imposed on their lives by limiting parking, struck a chord with me.
Why? Because they were present and had facts about how it will impact their lives.
Where were the Delbrook Lands group? They were not present [and yet] have a huge voice – so much so that council moved the agenda item to later in the evening and then wanted to defer it because it was late [10:15 p.m.].
This item has been before council for years and was deferred by an old council for a new council [to vote on] and now a new council wants to defer. Council did not take into consideration the non-residents of Delbrook who had been patiently waiting for three-plus hours for the agenda item.
Who are we serving: Residents of North Van who want access to affordable housing and respite services or a very absent group of Delbrook residents who want to limit the height of a building?
Delbrook Lands is once again mired in delays.
It is very real from the current state of the economy that not-for-profit housing organizations and respite centres will have difficulty providing services in a small footprint. There will be a park and rezoning to what? When and what cost?
We are potentially losing those housing and respite partners who have been patiently following the rules, attending meetings, open houses and watching the results of the survey.
Those not-for-profit organizations have extended energy, resources and money, and continue to wait while residents of North Vancouver are not being provided the promised services of affordable housing and access to respite care.
I wonder if people in North Van waiting for affordable housing and who are living in their vehicles should move to the Delbrook Lands and set up house. After all, it is a parking lot.
Janice Dungate
Deep Cove
