This is in reference to the letter titled “Saanich housing strategy leads to conflicting policies.” We moved to Saanich from North Vancouver recently. My background includes seven years volunteering with community policing in North Van (business liaison and speed control). Separate from that, I was on city hall’s traffic calming committee. I am not anti cycling.
The reason why we moved (after 45 years) was that North Van adopted a similar plan as is being proposed for Saanich. The result was an unmitigated disaster, development out of control. Jamming developments into given areas does not lower the cost of housing, just the opposite, check out North Van.
Allowing condos to provide parking for half the owners is absolutely absurd. For example two blocks away from us in North Van, a condo went up, with 34 units and 17 parking spaces. Most young couples have two cars. The result is 34 cars jammed into the neighbourhood. Some other consequences were that local businesses suffered because their parking was taken up.
As a result, people just went to the malls and the big-box stores as there is plenty of parking. Some service companies ceased to serve North Van because they couldn’t find parking. The road infrastructure was never considered so as a result, almost every afternoon, North Vancouver became the world’s biggest parking lot. This nonsense of proposed 30 km/h speed limits (pure political self aggrandizement) and the costs associated would not be needed as traffic on many roads will be bumper to bumper.
These same policies in North Vancouver are destroying the quality of life. That is exactly why we moved.
A good part of the silent majority is synonymous with apathy. Don’t let this happen here. There is an election coming next year. I urge you to keep notes on your community politicians, their actions and policies, so that you can make a well informed vote.
The aforementioned letter also mentions a housing strategy survey that you should complete at saanich.ca.
Doug Gavin
Saanich
