Editor:
The following letter was addressed to Gibsons mayor and council and shared with Coast Reporter.
Last week’s info session at the public market, hosted by the developer for the Billy’s Walk proposal, was a sham and a waste of everyone’s time. You, mayor and council have done a disservice to our town by allowing a project as visible as this one, on the hill overlooking five corners, Stonehurst and Molly’s Reach to pass second reading before any public input. The process has now gone too far to seriously consider public opinions so the info meeting was moot, and a lame excuse for public engagement.
Because of new relaxed legislation from the province to push for more housing I understand there will not be a public hearing on this development. How disappointing is this, that the developer is able to have his project fast-tracked without serious input from the public because the proposed project complies with the present OCP but it is nothing but modern and unimaginative. This development will start the trend to turn our town into a White Rock and seal its fate of ever looking like a cool seaside village.
By accepting this modern contemporary style of architecture for our village, you are allowing the architect to design our look, effectively closing the door to maintain a seaside village feel which we all want. With no clear vision of what seaside means we get a hodgepodge look without character. What a wasted opportunity, in my opinion.
Respectfully,
Judith Bonkoff
Gibsons
