Dear editor,
The City of Courtenay has been advertising to annex several areas on our borders.
This appears to me to be counter to the Regional Growth Strategy, which has suggested we focus on densifying our existing area instead of continuing the sprawl that we have experienced.
The future of our downtown would improve with more residents within walking distance. The costs of water, sewer, transit and street maintenance all increase with sprawl and decrease with density.
We don't need to look like downtown Vancouver, but there is a lot we can do to build human-scale multi-storey buildings and complete the development of areas within our existing borders.
The Regional Growth Strategy identified 'Settlement Expansion Areas' that were very controversial at the time. The implication was that these would be left for the future when we had built well on the existing foot print of the city.
We certainly haven't begun to tighten our sprawl and I suggest we reject the proposals. This can be done by filing an Elector Response Form with John Ward at City Hall (electors of City of Courtenay).
The areas are Lannan Lands, Beaver Meadow Farm and South Courtenay.
The proper forms can be downloaded at www.courtenay.ca/media/184688/erp_lannan.pdf, www.courtenay.ca/media/184692/erp_beavermeadows.pdf and www.courtenay.ca/media/184695/erp_south_courtenay.pdf.
Print the forms, invite your friends to sign and deliver them to John Ward before Nov. 23 at 4:30 p.m. Let's encourage our city to be more space aware.
Don Munroe,
Courtenay