The Editor,
How much profit do highrise developers need to get them smiling at the golf course? Will 20 storeys be high enough? How about 60?
Yes, it costs a lot of money to create highrises with those small apartments. All the labour, materials, tax, banks, design, elevators, property acquisition, off-site services, realtors and, of course, for some, the cash to help their chosen candidates win at election time.
To pay for all this, they will add five, 10 how about 20 floors to ensure all the costs are covered and a good profit is on the table. There are unknown risks, so add another two or three floors for insurance costs.
When asked at a public meeting about issues, don’t talk about parking — we have to keep the cost “affordable” and there is plenty of overflow street parking. Really? We will show the beauty of the building close to transportation, shops and schools. No one will need a car. Don’t discuss traffic, that’s the city’s problem, but if someone asks, just say all our plans have to be approved. Oh, sorry, strike the word “problem.” Say the city has and will continue to check every item, including parking.
In summary, the question could be: Did the developer pay too much for the land and now needs the approval of extra floors to bail them out or is it just simple greed?
Another factor in this is the Metro Vancouver Regional District directing communities to built to meet growth demands.
But whose demands? And how high is too high?
Yes, the community we love is snookered.
Brian Robinson, Coquitlam
