The Editor,
Re. “Coquitlam cranky over plan for Brunette project in NW” (The Tri-City News, Sept. 11).
I had to read the referenced article twice to believe my eyes.
Gary McKenna reported that Coquitlam councillors and city planning staff are aghast at the prospect of plans for 3,700 residential units near the Braid Skytrain station in New Westminster.
To me, this is a prime example of why decision makers in glass city halls shouldn’t throw stones.
These same planners and councillors have had no issues advancing the Blue Sky high-density project only blocks away in Burquitlam.
They are entertaining plans for upwards of 5,000 residential units on the old Fraser Mills site, just blocks away in the other direction.
They have annoyed their own Coquitlam residents, who have vociferously opposed overzealous development due to congestion concerns and transformation of residential roads into freeways.
In the other direction, Coquitlam has annoyed Port Coquitlam by way of increasing road capacity to handle the aftermath of extensive development on Burke Mountain. It famously annoyed New Westminster over its lack of enthusiasm for rebuilding the Braid Bailey bridge, which has proven to be a waste of resources because no one has moved the train tracks yet.
It appears the shoe is on the other foot now.
If I were a conspiracy theorist, I would say that the developers of this New Westminster proposal did not donate to election campaigns of the Coquitlam councillors speaking against it. The corollary to this would be to impartially evaluate outcomes of project proposals by developers who did donate.
Please note that I am not against development and densification in suitable areas but I am firmly against over-development and over-densification, particularly when required new infrastructure is subsidized by existing residents.
In this case New Westminster is guilty to a point, but nowhere as guilty as Coquitlam.
Ken Holowanky, Coquitlam
