Dear Editor:
If you want to see something real scary, check out the District of North Vancouver's plans for the Lower Lynn Town Centre on the web.
The plan is to redevelop the area on the east side of lower Mountain Highway into medium to high-rise commercial and residential use. They talk about affordable housing, enhancement of trails and greenways, community space in adjacent parks, upgraded public transit facilities and other warm and fuzzy concepts.
There is no mention of how this will affect the existing residents in Lynn Valley or surrounding areas. They talk about improved transit (good luck) and lots of new bicycle paths (sound familiar?). But our planners have ignored the fact this area has only two ways to get in, and there will be little or no way out except by walking or transit. There is nothing proposed for better vehicle access or improved traffic control.
There is no new green space, only concrete towers.This development will choke off lower Main Street. Mountain Highway will become a parking lot all the way up to Lynn Valley Road. The traffic on the Upper Levels will be backed up for the better part of the day as the expected 5,000 apartment dwellers get off to work each day.
I have no idea why the district wants to do this.We are already seeing the effects along Fern Street where the district has capitulated and allowed three high-rise residential towers to be built. They rationalized this folly on the basis it was a tradeoff for some other token amenity.
What are the chances that either the developer or our esteemed district council will actually want to live here? Probably squat.We have really enjoyed living in the community of Lynn Valley for the past 40 years, but I guess things don't last forever.
Welcome to Metrotown North Van and look out Hong Kong.
The Lower Mainland will soon be the envy of the world with the highest density ever.
Gerry Weiler
North Vancouver
