At Monday’s Delta Council Meeting, staff revealed the results of the recent Ipsos Reid survey, gathering Tsawwassen’s opinion on issues including the designation of the Southlands. Of the 5,483 residents who completed the survey, 62% wanted no development and voted to maintain the agricultural designation of the Southlands.In a report submitted by Delta CAO George Harvie, it was noted that a “strong majority of respondents want to see no change to the existing land use policies for the Southlands”. Further, Mr. Harvie’s report recommended the new Tsawwassen Area Plan (TAP) maintain the current agricultural designation. However, Council rejected these recommendations and voted to amend Mr. Harvie’s report to only “consider the recommendations”; thereby giving the Tsawwassen Area Plan Committee the final say on any policy revisions.
“By voting down Mr. Harvie’s recommendations Delta Council has chosen to ignore the will of the people,” stated Dana Maslovat, one of the organizers of Southlands the Facts.
“While I’m pleased by the results of the survey, I’m very disappointed with the reluctance of Council to accept Mr. Harvie’s original recommendations”, said Maslovat, noting that more Tsawwassen residents completed the survey than voted in the last civic election. “Council has been continuously asking for public opinion, yet when they receive a clear majority decision they still want to ensure they have the final say. It’s clear that Council no longer feels compelled to act in the best interests of the community and believes it can ignore the majority of citizens they represent.”
The potential re-designation of the Southlands agricultural land to accommodate a housing development is by far the most contentious component of the process undertaken to revise the existing Tsawwassen Area Plan. Any redesignation will change the Official Community Plan and open up the Southlands for a 1900 unit housing development by Century Holdings.
This piece of farmland was the cause of the longest public hearing in Commonwealth history and a resident run plebiscite in 1989, which prevented a 2000 unit development that was proposed for the same property
A tyrannical response to a survey that cost $28,000.00. This survey was given at a time when so many people are away they won't hold the by-election vote which only elects for a short time,this will affect us forever. Even this odd timing didn't work in council's favor. Strange strange decisions by a council alienating itself ever more from the citizens. They are not doing their job they were elected to, or do not care to do it, or have already written themselves off from being re-elected. In which case, they should follow the medical protocol - first, do no harm.
ReplyDeleteS.Hodges