Decisions that could dramatically alter Delta's landscape shouldn't be done piecemeal, behind the scenes or in isolation.
Dr. Gordon Price, program director of the City Program at Simon Fraser University, wants that point to get out regarding the specter of prime agricultural land being converted for port-related expansion.
Price delivered that message Tuesday night at a public information meeting hosted by Delta South MLA Vicki Huntington at the South Delta Secondary theatre.
Huntington recently revealed that an industrial consortium is behind the optioning of 226 hectares (558 acres) of farmland for port-related development.
She's also trying to get the public's attention how farmland could be lost on other fronts, including treaty settlement lands and properties purchased for B.C. Rail.
Also making presentations Tuesday were environmentalist Anne Murray and UBC's Art Bromke.
In a follow-up interview with the Optimist, Price said the municipality and others must be allowed to be part of the decision making process, having open conversations about future needs, the best land uses, as well as the values that people want maintained.
"There well may be some cases where trade-offs have to occur... Delta doesn't get to make these decisions on its own. You have to consider options, that's what planning is all about," Price explained.
"You look at your resources, you project to the future, you look at the directions you can take, weigh the pluses and minuses, you have an open process, you involve as many people as reasonably should be stakeholders as you can, and then someone has to make a political decision."
Price said he's disheartened the fundamental character of Delta will be changed, as well as that of the entire Lower Mainland, without any real awareness or involvement by the public.
"The intermodel yards, the (TFN) malls, the industrial development, you add it all up and the experience, the perception, people have when they first come into this region by ferry will be just completely different," he said.
"I just got back from Los Angeles and understand how quickly an area can change. I don't want to see that happening in the Lower Mainland, not without a full discussion, not without looking at the options, not without looking at where other ports have had some of the same issues and made decisions where they have been able to use their land more effectively."
Meanwhile, the proposed Terminal 2 is, in fact, a done deal, says Delta North New Democrat MLA Guy Gentner.
The former Delta councillor recently posed questions to Transportation Minister Blair Lekstrom in the legislature, asking, among other things, if the government supported the building of the new three-berth container terminal at Roberts Bank.
"I asked him if they supported it, even though the modeling and everything else is not completed officially, and the federal government hasn't yet come out in support," Gentner told the Optimist.
"The minister said yes, definitely. So, it's a done deal. This whole thing is project driven now, it's got nothing to do with environmental integrity."
According to the port authority, no decision has been made on Terminal 2. It says a multi-year public consultation process, which began last June, is continuing.
The port authority also says T2 "will be subject to a thorough and independent
environmental assessment."
Port Metro Vancouver says it's continuing field studies as part of ongoing environmental and technical work for the project.
The port authority is hosting an open house on its updated land use plan, however, it won't be held in South Delta. It will be at the North Delta Recreation Centre, 11415-84th Ave., on Saturday, June 16 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
For more information, including all stakeholder workshop materials, visit Port Metro Vancouver's website at portmetrovancouver/landuseplan.
