The Tsawwassen Area Plan report is on its way to Delta council. After a year and a half, two rounds of public forums, a mail in survey sent to every household in Tsawwassen, and many, many meetings, a nine page report on its main findings and recommendations will be debated very shortly. This process is designed to lead to a public hearing this fall. Surprise - there is more in the report than just Southlands - much more.

Readers in Ladner may have become quite bored with the focus on the Tsawwassen Area Plan. They need to be reminded: "You are next to get a new area plan."

The Tsawwassen Area Plan is deceptively similar and yet different from the 1992 plan - all at the same time. One of the major differences is that the new area plan recommends a significant increase in housing all within the existing land currently occupied by housing. This will not be good news for the Southland advocates - that land is not needed for housing. A 50 per cent increase in the population can be accommodated within the existing built-up area. Coupled with what may take place on Tsawwassen First Nation lands, this new plan will allow our community's population to almost double should we wish it to do so!

You ask: "How can this be?" In the early days, Tsawwassen was a residential community where all homes needed a septic tank field. Thus most lots were about 1/5 or 1/4 acre in size, meaning 8,000 to 11,000 square feet. Today, a lot half that size is considered to be quite adequate by most. So many lots might to broken into two lots and still be residential. Secondly, there is need and desire to increase the density around the town centre. That means that some areas which today are single family homes will evolve into townhouses (row houses) or into apartment buildings. That will occur with the replacement of aging houses which in many cases are 50-plus years old. Third, the plan calls for allowing townhouses along major transportation routes such as 56th and 12th. Fourth, infill housing, not now allowed, will be allowed on a case by case basis where lots are large enough.

Lastly, secondary suites were approved by council recently for all of Delta. Taking all of this together and you could, over a few decades, find the population within Tsawwassen increase by as much as 50 per cent!

While this is going on, there will likely be stricter control on building form and size in Boundary Bay and in Beach Grove. This will prevent larger sized houses dominating the community.

So what do you think? These are ideas, suggestions and recommendations going to council. If they think the plan has merit, you will be given a chance to say what you think at meetings and a hearing. Be ready - this will be the theme of the fall after the by-election.