Dear editor,
I write in regards to the article in the Record of March 2 titled ‘Comox Valley Sewage Commission considers costly projects.’
Some months ago the Comox Valley Sewage Commission put out a “survey” to Valley residents with regard to this project. The “survey” was only a process to get votes for one of three options in the routing of the new high pressure main through the Town of Comox, there was no allowance for a fourth option: “none of the above.”
The premise for it all was the apparent exposure of the current pipeline of Balmoral Beach to damage from ocean wave action. They included a diagram of the resulting catastrophic pollution. This was scaremongering at its best; any civil engineer worth his salt can design protection for these pipes (which should be in place anyway).
Comox is now faced with a huge and costly disruption to both businesses and residents, not to mention tourism. Comox Road and Comox Avenue past the old St. Joseph’s Hospital will be dug up as well as roads in downtown Comox and beyond.
Traffic delays and detours with noise and lost business in the area will be the result.
The projected increase in property tax is also large and this assumes the $82m projected does not double as these things seem to do.
The Comox Valley is growing in population, and there seems to be no end in sight. Why then are we doing another “fixer up” job on the current sewage system at Point Holmes, when the Valley should construct a new modern plant in the Courtenay South region to serve all of the Comox Valley?
If Victoria can get federal and provincial funding to build a modern plant we can also do so.
Let’s stop this half measure plan and do it right.
Mal Walsh,
Comox