Email dated February 3, 2023 from I. Brown, Re: OCP Restart Plan
A letter recommending amendments to the OCP to require parkland acquisition for all new developments and to set a strict building height limit of six storeys.
Official Community Plan
From: margaret and Ian Brown
Sent: February 3, 2023 4:52 PM
To: Mayor And Council Email mayorandcouncil@viewroyal.ca
Subject: Official Community Plan
Dear Mayor and Councillors;
I see you will discuss the Official Community Plan for View Royal at the meeting on February 7. I would like you to make some amendments to the draft Plan.
First, I am told that View Royal has accommodated a percentage growth over the last ten years far larger than most municipalities in the CRD. One consequence is that the Town has now quite a bit less parkland per resident than it used to. A Plan that is concerned about this will see that the Town acquire enough new parkland to make that ratio return to that of 10 years ago. Each development should be required to provide enough public parkland to do this.
Secondly, there seems to be a myth that if developers do not provide parking for their residents the residents will happily give up their cars and ride the bus. What will happen instead is the surrounding streets will become linear parking lots with one narrow lane centre for traffic. This is not a View Royal I want to live in. I note further that several parts of View Royal are badly served by BCTransit. We need an up to date Transportation Plan before deciding on a Community Plan.
Thirdly there is no height limit on buildings in the draft Plan. We should limit the height of all buildings in View Royal to six storeys. I do not want to see great apartment towers soaring about our Town.
So please, postpone the Official Community Plan, develop a 21st century Transportation Plan first and develop the Town much more slowly and carefully. We, the present residents of View Royal, are not served at all well by the present breakneck speed of development.
Sincerely
Ian D.Brown
328 Stewart Ave.