Dear Editor:
In mid-August, I received a notice stating that on Aug. 21-31, the District of North Vancouver would be doing construction work from 7 p.m.-6 a.m. adjacent to my home. The same day, I called the district’s utility department and was informed the work is necessary due to a sewer pipe needing replacement, but the workers will be mindful.
The construction work was anything but mindful. Excavators dug at all hours of the night, portable LED lights reflected into my home, and drilling machines shook our house. After three sleepless nights, I called the district again and spoke to a sympathetic senior person. When I asked why it is necessary to do such disruptive and obnoxiously loud work at night, he informed me that the decision came from those higher up the echelon. The “logic” behind it had to do with the fact that people in Edgemont Village are infuriated with the road closures due to district-sanctioned development, so the uppers decided to do this work at night.
After the seventh sleepless night, I left a message at the mayor’s office. Mayor Richard Walton kindly called back and explained the work needs to be done at night because it pertains to sewer lines. I explained that I am unclear as to the relevance since people use the bathroom during the day and night. Also according to senior staff, the reason pertains to people’s frustration with traffic disruptions due to construction. Mayor Walton dismissed this notion as ridiculous. I expressed how distressing it is to have to deal with the construction throughout Edgemont during the day and again at night. Furthermore, I voiced my concern that the extent of densification is short-sighted because there is a lack of infrastructure to support the growth. Mayor Walton scoffed and implied I am singular in my thinking and he himself has no traffic concerns, before hanging up.
Unfortunately, we live in times where some politicians feel they no longer need to be accountable to the electorate. In spite of much opposition to the extent of development taking place in Edgemont, Mayor Walton and his council continue to push forth their agenda. Instead of closing roads to deal with infrastructure issues, they prefer to close roads to allow developers to erect their townhomes. They are clearly more concerned with keeping developers happy than the residents they are elected to serve. Fortunately, the municipal elections are a year away.
Mehrgan Filsoof
North Vancouver
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