Dear editor,
I read with great interest that there is “vociferous” opposition to a heritage-style triplex at the corner of Fifth and Menzies in Courtenay.
It seems that renters are viewed as noisy and cause hassle. I was a renter once and now I am an owner, but I don’t think I make less noise now or cause less hassle.
It is unfair to paint all renters with the same brush or deny reasonable housing to those wishing to rent or buy smaller or less expensing accommodations.
Moreover, I like to think I live in one of the most naturally blessed communities in the world and one of the ways we can preserve it, while welcoming those wishing to join us, is to increase density in our cores to minimize the paving of our surroundings.
Also, I wonder if having more people close to our town centres could increase economic trade in those areas. I live just three blocks farther than Menzies from downtown and I do 90 per cent of my shopping downtown because it’s close. I imagine this would be of great interest to the Downtown Business Improvement Association and its merchants.
Could more well-priced housing benefit all of us?
David Frisch
Courtenay