All you have to do is drive to Langford and look up towards the mountains and you will see the ‘development’ devastation taking place. The mountains are being clear cut to make way for houses.
City council and Mayor Stew Young have decided that any development, no matter what its impact on the environment, infrastructure, or existing residents’ concerns, will be ‘green-lighted.’ The planning, zoning and affordable housing committee along with city council, green lights almost every project with no regard except for the almighty dollar. Case in point. The original master plan of Westhills was touted as a green development, with over 40 per cent of the property to be greenspace (parks and natural forest). Langford council has now ‘redefined’ green space as parking lots and fake artificial grass, thus allowing the developer to clear cut and blast away.
On a smaller scale, there is presently a petition underway to protect an old, well-established Arbutus tree on the corner of Jacklin and Dunford from the land developer. One tree! It is a species protected in many surrounding municipalities. Langford has no tree protection policy in place as the mayor sees it as unnecessary. I contend such a policy is desperately needed – to protect the trees and natural environment from Stew Young and his council.
Langford council is even reducing most of the fees the city charges developers that go toward buying and protecting parkland. There are ways to build housing that incorporates the environment rather than obliterating it, but the present council is deaf to that concept. It’s time to stand up against Langford council and bring back some common sense. It’s time for Langford city council to actually listen to its residents rather than giving them lip service. It’s time to stop developing a concrete jungle with fake grass. It’s time for Stew Young and his archaic development practices to go.
Sue Harper
Langford
