1020 Sugar Mountain Way
Anmore, BC, V3H 4Y7.
Thursday, June 5, 2014.
Reference: June 10, 2014 OCP Public Hearing
To Anmore Mayor and Council
At the May 20th Anmore Council Meeting to discuss the final draft of the OCP, Council increased the density from 1.5 to 1.8 for developers on steep slope, environmentally-sensitive land, which requires new infrastructure and ongoing maintenance and replacement by the Village. Council also removed the 15% cap on Comprehensive Development Zones and are allowing cluster housing for the steep slope areas. I am trying to understand the logic behind these approvals given that the Village will have to maintain and replace all of the new infrastructure – roads, water, pumping stations etc. when in 2012 there was already a $9 million infrastructure maintenance deficit according to the Vann Struth Financial Sustainability Report.
We have already had two washouts at Pinnacle Ridge steep slope development, one of which damaged six homes, washed out a septic system, and destroyed most of the Mossom Creek Fish Hatchery stock downstream. As well, as I understand them, many of the developers are opposed to Development Area Permits and the RAR requirements are not being enforced. Since the Riparian Area Requirements are legislated provincially, I do not understand how the Village can overlook these environmental requirements.
For over 10 years, Anmore Council has discussed the likelihood of eventually moving to blanket half-acre zoning for residents and developers alike in the future, thus many of the homes of long-time residents on the valley floor were strategically placed on half an acre in anticipation of eventual subdivision. Council seems to have totally overlooked this option in favour of dense hillside Comprehensive Development requiring new infrastructure for the Village to maintain and replace, and cluster housing in environmentally sensitive areas. I do not understand how Council can move in favour of no-cap Comprehensive Developments on smaller lots requiring new infrastructure, while many excellent low-impact lots with existing infrastructure are available on the valley floor.
Indeed, in 2002, the BC Supreme Court Justice Truscott and Anmore legal Councils Murdy and McAllister claimed that Council had already approved blanket half-acre lots.
“Item 57) I think that Mr. Murdy (Village lawyer) hit the proverbial nail on the head in his letter of January 23, 2002, when he expressed concern that the Harris proposal was simply intended to avoid the current provisions of the Village bylaw, and it appears to me that the Village council may have made the policy decision he spoke about that it wants to allow, in effect, two principal residences on each one acre parcel without going through the proper procedures for change in the zoning." (Hon Justice Truscott) http://www.courts.gov.bc.ca/jdb-txt/sc/03/05/2003bcsc0523.htm
Council claims steep slope development and cluster houses are what residents want. This can certainly not be claimed on the basis of a CitySpaces survey of 25 self-selected people where only 7 residents ‘support’ or ‘strongly support’ maintaining the one acre standard. Since there are 724 residences (including duplexes) in Anmore, (assuming 2 adults per household), I do not understand how Council could make significant development decisions for the next 5 years in Anmore, based on the advice of 7 of 1448 people. At a minimum, as a member of the Advisory Planning Committee requested, Council should take more time to consider what the community really sees as its vision for the future within the context of the ‘Rural’ designation in the Metro Vancouver Regional Growth Strategy. As done before, a referendum concomitant with the upcoming municipal election would be a low-cost way to gauge the current sentiments of residents.
If it was up to me, clearly which it is not, I would keep build-out as it currently stands at 4000 residents. Since Vann Struth reports that
"Only 47% of the 637 developed lots are 1 acre or larger in size. The other 53% are less than 1 acre, including 35% that are less than .5 of an acre..."
I would hold developers to the same standards as residents with a half acre blanket zoning. And our verdant, environmentally sensitive hillsides would be kept in pristine condition for future generations and all of the residents of Metro Vancouver to enjoy.
Best regards,
Dr. Lynn Elen Burton
Retired SFU Professor and former Dean at SFU and CSULA