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Opinion: Unlikely tag for Delta’s new mayor

Wow, I didn’t think I’d hear that one.
george harvie
Mayor George Harvie cast the deciding vote to defeat Four Winds’ brewery-restaurant proposal for the Southlands.

Wow, I didn’t think I’d hear that one.

Like any politician, our new mayor has had his decisions, initiatives and comments dissected as many of his constituents have offered their views, on social media in particular, on what has been a busy first six months in office. The commentary has been varied, but a sentiment that’s been gaining traction in the last couple of weeks is one I never thought I’d encounter: George Harvie is anti-development and anti-business.

This has been brought about primarily by Harvie casting the deciding vote to defeat Four Winds’ brewery-restaurant proposal for the Southlands, a project that’s finding a great deal of public support in the wake of its narrow rejection by Delta council. It’s also spread to commentary on the Town Centre Mall redevelopment plan, with supporters worried the mayor will drive more business out of town by kyboshing another worthy Century Group undertaking.

Such discourse is definitely ironic given the worry about Harvie during last fall’s election campaign was that he would be too development friendly, that his council would approve projects that would change the character of communities, forever ruining our small town vibe. There was certainly a basis for such fears as Harvie’s Achieving for Delta slate received a handful of five-figure donations before campaign finance rules changed in the fall of 2017, all of which came from well-heeled property developers.

So who would have thought that six months after the election Harvie would be drawing criticism for rejecting a development proposal and be labeled as anti-business?

The Four Winds application has managed to do just that. It’s also created a divide in the community, with pretty much everyone in agreement that a great company that brews award-winning beer has come up with a creative proposal, but far less consensus on whether the Southlands is the right spot for it.

Given the level of support, even from those with concerns about the scope and/or location, it’s hard not to envision some sort of revised application resurfacing that’s tweaked just enough that it ends up meeting with Delta council’s approval.

After all, Harvie has a pro-development reputation he needs to protect.