For many people, Anmore is the lovely, rural village that one must drive through to get to Buntzen Lake or Belcarra Regional Park.
But for those who live there, that rural charm is what makes Anmore so special and they want to keep it that way.
For the Oct. 20 civic election, two men are running for mayor and both want to keep Anmore a rural oasis — but have different views on how to go about it.
Glen Coutts, a retired BC Hydro manager, is running against Mayor John McEwen on what he considers to be a platform of better governance because he believes a recent bylaw change allowing infill housing on one-acre lots was rushed and lacked public support.
“It wasn’t clear to me how our village's demographics had changed, I wasn’t aware of it,” said Coutts, who has been a member of Anmore civic committees and was a village councillor for a term in the late 1990s. "This this was a significant departure."
Coutts said he was drawn to get more involved because of what he believes was an undemocratic process and now that the infill bylaw has been passed, thinks it needs more clarity.
“There’s fundamental things that are wrong with it that need further management and guidelines to our planner. It’s in and I accept it, that doesn’t mean it’s ready to roll out.”
Coutts said he's also unhappy with delays to resolving the sewage problem at Anmore Green estates and says he would support the estate joining the regional sewer system as long as owners pay for it and Anmore as a whole isn’t required to join.
McEwen, a small business owner, is running again to ensure that Anmore gets its village hall built and touts the village’s good financial situation as one of the main reasons voters should reelect him.
“We’ve got really good momentum. we were able to overcome our infrastructure deficit. We have money put aside,” McEwen said.
He disagrees that the infill zoning bylaw change was rushed and came out of the blue, saying it was discussed during the official community plan update in 2014. He said he initiated a task force to look into it because of concerns that had been raised.
“That was the only involvement I had,” he said, not the change would affect about 35 properties.
McEwen said he's also supportive of Anmore Green estates joining the Metro sewer system and sees a way forward on the issue if an amendment to the OCP allowing the hookup were permitted and the housing development subsequently identified as a service area so only those homes were part of the sewer with all the requirements and fees.
Until then, the village is fulfilling its requirement to file a liquid waste management plan with the Ministry of Environment and will look at every other option first.
“This is a big game-changer for a lot of people up here, that’s why as a council we need to do our due diligence.”
CANDIDATE INFO
• Facebook: JohnMcEwenCampaign; Twitter: @McewenAnmore
• Facebook: GlenCoutts — Anmore Mayor Candidate; glen_coutts@telus.net; 604-469-0473
