Editor:
After reading and digesting Century Group's latest proposal for the Southlands, I can see it is trying to divide and conquer.
With the extreme amount of construction being proposed right next to Boundary Bay, which is our beautiful, small, beachside community, and out of sight of most residents of Tsawwassen, Century is hoping most people will go along with this proposal.
If you drive along 56th Street right now and look towards our beautiful Boundary Bay, it is almost totally out of view and thus out of mind.
Divide and conquer is a very smart strategy and would probably work if the affected community of Boundary Bay didn't speak up for itself and defend its quality of life that will, without a doubt, be destroyed if this proposal were to go ahead.
A good deal of residents from Tsawwassen might not come down to the bay or know much about it, but it is, without a doubt, a gem of a place to live and raise your kids.
Because Boundary Bay is a beachfront community, there are virtually no sidewalks, so everything happens on the streets. Kids and dogs play on the streets where they are very safe right now.
Adults go for walks to visit neighbours and have social time right on the streets, largely due to the size of our population and the respect that we all have for each other.
A proposed housing development that would increase the size of our small population to well over double what it now is would most certainly destroy our lifestyle as we know it. No proposal on any neighbourhood anywhere is worth this type of loss to the quality of life that we all try to achieve.
We have one road in and out. It handles all the traffic for Boundary Bay, and for Centennial Beach, and can be extremely busy at any moment. Years of construction with all those heavy trucks would make our commutes a nightmare, to say the least.
In Century Group's latest proposal, gone is the argument the land is not farmable. Gone is the argument the housing would benefit the residents, as it would be close to the town core, so no increase in car traffic would occur.
This proposal moves the development to the farthest point away from the town core, which means all these new residents have to drive everywhere, so the traffic will increase without a doubt.
I totally understand that change is inevitable, but not all change is for the good and some changes can be disastrous. This proposal is one of those instances.
I am calling on Delta council to deny this proposal on the grounds it will destroy the quality and way of life for the residents of Boundary Bay and put an increasing demand on our infrastructure.
Rod Maksym
