Editor:
Re: Motivations on farmland don't seem to add up, letter to the editor, May 11
It would seem Douglas Bolen has descended into a state of bullying through his letter. In case your readers missed it, the message he conveyed was: You should accept Century Group's development plans, or you will be punished with greenhouses. You're better off with 950 homes and several thousand more people and vehicles in your community.
Thankfully, the majority of residents understand. This isn't a debate over residential development versus greenhouses. It's about the resulting traffic woes; it's about the environmental impact; it's about a unique quality of life we enjoy in Tsawwassen.
Since I don't recall Bolen being present at the Mayor's Summit, it is rather disingenuous of him to "interpret" a communiqué that resulted from that process. For the sake of your readers, as one who was present at the summit, let it be known the real intent of asking Century Group not to discuss greenhouses after the summit was to stop the same form of intimidation Bolen has reverted to and Century Group and its supporters keep making.
Don't the residents have the right to consider Century Group's development plan without being threatened?
In case Bolen missed it, the Southlands saga has carried on for more than 30 years as one developer after another has attempted to intimidate Tsawwassen residents into developing this land.
Bolen seems to forget that history and the fact the majority of the community have yet again stated, categorically, to keep 100 per cent of this land for agricultural purposes.
That reality is not only evidenced in the various surveys conducted, but in the municipality's updated Official Community Plan. It's also evidenced in the November election results where the majority of Tsawwassen voters supported the pro-farmland candidate.
Thankfully, as with many threatening tactics, this one is unlikely to work.
Richard Kunz
