Editor:
After attending the last Gospel Rock refinement committee meeting, I was shocked to find that neither of the two new plans for the area are actually a refinement of Plan B - no waterfront development at all. Instead, the select committee's preferred plan option has been redefined and waterfront development has been added right back in. I feel like I am in the twilight zone.
These two new options for the development of the Gospel Rock neighbourhood area will be presented to the select committee on March 29 in council chambers. I wonder how select committee members feel about their recommendation being ignored after three long years and so many painstaking meetings?
Ultimately the select committee's job was to recommend a preferred plan option to council. As per their mandate, the select committee unanimously, but for one vote (Glenn Bryson, then owner of Block 7) recommended Plan B - no waterfront development - as their preferred plan option. When the recommendation came before council it was passed 3 - 2. At that time in November, 2008, councillors Gerry Tretick and Chris Koopmans opposed the motion on procedural grounds although they both expressed support for Plan B because it was clear from a public survey that the community did not want the rare ecosystem on the waterfront developed.
In November 2009, council, committee and public opposed waterfront development on Block 7 of the Gospel Rock planning area. So what happened?
Suzanne Senger
Gibsons
