Editor:
I have a great desire to see this community of South Delta in which I have lived for over 40 years rise above the rhetoric of the last two decades regarding the Southlands and accept a solution for the use of these hotly debated lands that all parties can embrace.
At this time I believe that a very vocal minority sees these lands as theirs to protect, no "save," for either the farming potential or the natural beauty of these properties.
I don't think what they want is attainable unless the lands were to be expropriated and developed as parkland. Neither do I believe many of those against any sort of development would be willing to step up to the counter with their cheque in hand to facilitate such a purchase.
Further, I seriously doubt that any traditional field-based agriculture with its fertilizers, insecticide or herbicide sprays, as well as movement of heavy equipment, would be acceptable to most people in this community. God knows none of us would welcome a chicken, mushroom or hog farm on those lands, let alone covering them with greenhouse glass.
I have witnessed so much negativity from those that would want things to stay just as they are but what they don't seem to understand is that we live in a free society where, within reason, a property owner ought to be able to develop and/or use land he holds in a fashion that is consistent with municipal criteria, best suits his needs and with regard for the benefits and/or impacts such development may create for the community at large.
From my perspective, I believe what the Century Group has put together, in consultation through community-based participation, represents the best of all solutions to which I offer the following observations, most of which have been stated by others time and time again:
1. Only 20 per cent of the land will be developed for housing with the balance reserved for sustainable agriculture, parks and green space or whatever the Corporation of Delta deems to be the most appropriate use.
2. The development will take place over a period of 10 or more years adding to the employment opportunities in this area and creating an increased tax base to help fund the many amenities we enjoy now but could lose if they are underutilized. I include Delta Hospital in this long list of amenities.
3. The focus on the majority of the preserved lands could be for sustainable (and probably organic) farming, not just for the benefit of these lands and this community but for acreages in other communities that might use techniques developed at this site.
4. There could be a centre for agricultural studies and an opportunity for community gardens to help promote a better understanding of what might be possible on smaller, arable parcels in the future.
5. There would be a new opportunity for Tsawwassenites that now live in homes too large for their needs to relocate to more manageable properties and thereby free up their larger family homes to young families wanting to establish in this community. This would help with the declining enrollment in our schools and create impetus for new local, retail shops to open and existing shops to remain open. We need a better balance in terms of age group representation to keep our remaining schools open, as well as to ensure our community remains vibrant and commercially viable for the retail sector.
I say we need to work with the Century Group to help it utilize its lands in a way that provides solutions all communities of interest can accept. To continue on a course of action that would expect no development on these lands is both divisive and unrealistic.
For those that are concerned about the traffic issues, we will soon have a new highway from just north of 28th Avenue, which will ease those concerns and provide an alternate route out of South Delta when inevitable accidents occur on Highway 17.
Despite the debate over routing and consumption of farmland, the South Fraser Perimeter Road should be, given the irreversible fact of ferry and port-related traffic, a welcome addition to our transportation infrastructure.
We deeply regret the impact these new traffic corridors will have on our agricultural land base but one must ask, what would the alternatives be?
The Roberts Bank superport is not going to go away any time soon and, while we might wish it wasn't so, there really is no better place for the port given the geographic realty of developing world trade between Canada and the Pacific Rim.
The plan the Century Group has created and vetted with the community received an award for community development strategies. The people of South Delta ought to think about what the alternatives to the proposal on the table might be!
My family would much rather accept a well thought out, award-winning residential development proposal for a mere 20 per cent of the Southlands than gamble on a roll of the dice in the hope that something better will surface.
Let's do what's right for all concerned and get on with responsible development of the Southlands. Don't disregard the opportunities the Century proposal presents for new, publicly-owned green space and don't be so disrespectful of the Hodgins family that has been instrumental in building this community that we all love by proposing that the Southlands be re-designated as a part of the Agricultural Land Reserve.
It just doesn't make any common sense!
J.S. Thomas
