Editor:
Re: Councillor puts forward motion to buy Paterson Park, Feb. 24
Spend, spend, spend taxpayer money! That's the nature of Coun. Sylvia Bishop's recent motion to buy from Kwantlen Polytechnic University approximately 9.5 acres of Paterson Park to prevent development on this site. I oppose this for the following reasons:
First, if you believe it should not be developed, proper zoning can do that without the fiscal irresponsibility of owning it. The current zoning has successfully prevented it from being developed.
Kwantlen has realized finally that Delta's no growth policy is inconsistent with the development of an education facility and has decided to sell. Delta's loss.
Second, any planner will tell you this is a perfect spot for development in that it is ideally located and within walking distance to schools, churches, hospital, shopping, transit and it would enjoy easy commuter access to Highway 17.
If Bishop wants a park, Delta should work with Kwantlen and sell Delta's adjacent 12 acres of Paterson Park for $1 million to $1.5 million/acre to a developer with a condition the developer provide a park at its expense using the new buildings to buffer the sounds of speeding trucks and sirens.
Now you have cash in hand, tax and development revenue, more diverse housing types and a free park to which people might actually want to go.
Third, if Bishop wants to own land so badly, rather than spending taxpayer dollars, or borrowing, to turn Paterson Park into a non-revenue producing park, Delta should accept the gift of 430 acres offered by Century Group at the Southlands.
There is no cost to the taxpayer for this land and properly managed, it could create a new source of property tax and non-property tax revenue.
Bishop, please remember the money you are spending is ours and you ought to treat it as such.
Douglas Bolen
