Editor:
Re: Public shortchanged when it comes to public hearings, Community Comment, Oct. 12
After reading Ian Robertson's column I went to the Corporation of Delta's website. I found reams of pages of documents pertaining to Southlands.
As Robertson suggests, I will need a cogent summary by people whom I trust and employ - the Corporation of Delta staff and our elected officials.
The problem is I do not trust many of our elected officials. I feel they may be too keen for Delta to acquire 80 per cent of the property in question that they may overlook all that is before them and ignore our wishes.
After all, we listened and spoke at area plan meetings for close to two years. Many of us wrote letters and filled out questionnaires (that's another story). The majority of residents presented their vision of what they wished to see in Tsawwassen but based on what happened at Northgate, our wishes were ignored.
An Ipsos Reid survey, paid for by taxpayer dollars, clearly said the majority did not wish to see housing development on Southlands. And here we are a few years later, with the saga continuing.
Are readers aware of the 113-page appraisal report online? There is a coastal flood modeling report, a technical memo on drainage and irrigation, and an environmental baseline and impact assessment. Of course there is Century's latest rezoning application. And there is more, much more.
The public information meeting is less than two weeks after Century's presentation to council and with some of the information only being posted last week, it seems to me we need more time to absorb everything.
I cannot believe that Delta staff will be able to cover all of the material in overviews at 4: 30 and at 7: 30 p.m. at the open house on Oct. 25.
What about those who cannot attend that night? Will the entire process be televised?
Jean Wightman
