Dear Editor:
At the July 10 Town Hall meeting regarding the proposed Onni development at 1308 Lonsdale Ave., it was clear to me that many in the community feel overwhelmed by the development taking place on the Lonsdale corridor.
The intent is densification and the creation of a "city centre." When Onni first indicated its intent for 13th and Lonsdale, we at The Grande, the nearest neighbour to the development, and thus the property owners with the most to lose, convened a meeting immediately and have remained actively engaged with Onni, the city, councillors and the mayor, expressing our views and concerns. We are now happy with the result, understanding that development is inevitable, and we can have no reasonable expectation of preserving our views forever. We believe the current plans will create quite a handsome focus for mid Lonsdale.
However, it was not easy to remain engaged over 18 months, and it is not over yet. I strongly urge neighbours of future proposals to get engaged early; find out who the players are, where the power lies. We believe that our efforts have added value to the project.
The onus is on residents to speak to their concerns when these things happen. That is the only way we can work together to shape the community that we desire.
Ann Sturrock North Vancouver
