Dear Editor:
I am grateful that West Vancouver council rejected the two proposals for towers at the Safeway site. The public at the meeting regarding this topic was adamant that there is no place for additional towers, and that the village atmosphere must be retained.
However, this second aspect can only be achieved if density is restricted to something much closer to the official community plan. Unfortunately, the developer appears to be still planning to maintain the ridiculously high density he originally proposed.
Now options for two towers are being proposed for the 1300 block Marine Drive with a density even higher than what was proposed for the Safeway site. Surely council can expect the same public opinion for this project as the original Safeway proposal. While the developer did hold "Idea's Fairs," they in no way constituted public consultation since (surprise!) height and density were not a focus.
The public should expect some degree of certainty from the OCP and not be forced to defend it every time a new development is proposed.
Can council not see that it is tiresome to continuously attend meetings and provide feedback whether it be about carriage houses, the Wetmore site, Park Royal, Evelyn Drive or Ambleside? Or is it council's intent to wear the public down so that height and density can be exploited in order to maximize monetary profit?
West Vancouver citizens have been pretty clear that their priorities are not purely monetary, rather it is maintaining a beautiful urban community that has the unique luxury to feel rural. Our OCP helps us achieve this.
Council could save both citizens and developers much effort and disappointment by insisting on adherence to heights and densities as prescribed in the OCP.
Scenery C. Slater
West Vancouver
