Editor:
Why is this mayor and council obsessed with removing park space for garbage dumps and now a new city hall?
What is wrong with the old site that they already own? Is it not close enough to restaurants so the mayor can spend his meal money without too much difficulty? How convenient is the new site going to be if you live in North Burnaby?
The current site is centrally located. There is a bus loop right next to it. Isn’t there an old courthouse there that could be redeveloped? Why take away green space in an area that is filled with concrete and glass towers so that the mayor and council can build a monument to themselves?
It is clear that this mayor and council are out of touch and just like to flush development and tax dollars down the toilet. What creative ways will they think up next to drain the city’s coffers?
David Cumming
I do not think city Hall in Burnaby should be moved to Metrotown. It is shocking and disturbing to me that this appears to be a done deal with no public input.
Mayor Hurley states that it makes no sense to upgrade city hall, when for a minor spending increase a new one can be built. This minor spending increase is $4 million-plus.
The public should be having a say on whether a new city hall should be built, not where.
Bonnie Hughes
I can accept that it is more cost-effective to build a new city hall that fix the current structure.
However, my first question is, “Why move to Metrotown? What other locations in Burnaby were considered before landing on Metrotown?”
The current location is more centrally located. There is much space along Canada Way to build a new building and it is close to the Burnaby Lakes sports complex, Deer Lake cultural and leisure activities, the RCMP headquarters, Burnaby maintenance yards and freeway access, which makes city hall more accessible to all residents, not just those living on the south side of the city. The current city hall has good transit service and is centrally located for cyclists and car drivers.
Building on the existing grounds would cause much less construction congestion than building in the already congested Metrotown area. Most of the ground-level open space in Metrotown is found at the Bob Prittie Library and Bonsor Community Centre. Why would we could into this rare and valuable green space to add yet another tower?
The second question is, “What are the plans for the Canada Way location?” I have not heard anything from the mayor or council on this point.
Like the failed organic waste project on parkland in the Fraser Foreshore area, I think city hall is much farther along in the new city hall project than they have shared with the public. I’ve completed the public survey but it does not address my questions. I ask the mayor and council to provide the public with complete and transparent information.
Why do these big public projects only come to the citizens’ attention when the project is a long way down the planning stage? I don’t recall a survey asking about the location of a new city hall within Burnaby before seeing the survey asking us to pick from three Metrotown locations. Not much of a choice at all.
Bonda Bitzer
Burnaby needs a new city hall. The current location does not have the best accessibility unless you have a car.
Locating near Metrotown makes a lot more sense especially if you want to encourage us (the public) to use transit. Not all of Burnaby residents have cars.
The only drawback would be for car users since parking in this area can be a nightmare.
Loreta Venir
