Dear Editor:
I attended the public hearing on Tuesday, Sept. 20 regarding the redevelopment of the current Station Square site.
I was so pleased to see such a large turnout in council (a full house and then some) to discuss a precedent-setting development in our city.
I was also pleased to see so many people speak their praise for planned development in the town centre of Metrotown. I cannot agree more that planned densification near our public transit spaces are a positive move forward.
Where I do take issue is the fact that the "planned development" seems to end at the borders of the Station Square development. The report to the city manager cites the development as "human scale" and "pedestrian oriented" - all things I strongly support.
What we need to ensure however is that proper planning is made to ensure the same pedestrian oriented environment exists outside the 11 acres of this development.
We need to plan how we will accommodate the 1,500-plus new residents in the area, and these plans need to be in place before we approve these types of development. People will not use their bikes if they do not feel safe on the roads - we need a plan now to develop important bike infrastructure in this area. Our city lags behind other RCMP municipalities in officers available per citizen - we need to plan now to increase the number of RCMP officers in our city. This development will mean greater transit ridership - we need to talk now about the expansion of the Metrotown SkyTrain station, already one of the most heavily used stations in the system.
Time after time I have seen municipalities put the cart before the horse when it comes to development and planning. Let's use the Station Square redevelopment as a rallying cry. Let's ask our city to stop approving large-scale redevelopments without first addressing the infrastructure needed to support them. Let's make sure we plan for a sustainable future in our city - a human scale community that extends beyond the boundaries of these redevelopment efforts.
Matthew Stuart, Burnaby Municipal
Green Party
