It's not on the Agenda for tonight's Council session, but a petition that launched and closed over the weekend most likely will make for some conversation around City Hall today.
The online consultation of city residents serving as an indication that there is going to be a bit of a challenge ahead for the City of Prince Rupert's plans to move forward on a housing proposal from the Lax Kw'alaams Band for 11th Avenue East area.
The petition on change.org popped up at the start of the weekend sponsored by a group called Revive Prince Rupert 2020/2021, the online call for signatures gained 92 supporters before it was Closed for further comment or contribution.
The narrative to the petition covered a fair bit of territory, with the scope of a large scale project among the concerns, as was the impact on the natural environment of the immediate area.
This question must be asked. Why are we considering destroying one of the last remaining forested areas within the city. Hays Creek runs through the site where there are fish and other habitats among the lush forest. We regularly see deer, wolves, and eagles inhabiting this land. How is it acceptable to destroy their homes? Prince Rupert is not a sprawling metropolis, but a small community in the middle of a rainforest.
To lose this deeply saddens us all. There is also concern about the additional garbage this could bring to the area. Being a main street with a lot of heavy foot traffic, the sidewalks are already heavily littered with garbage. What does this mean for the area and it’s forests when we add hundreds of new residents overnight?
The organizers of the petition also offer up alternative locations where they believe the proposed development would be better suited.
Our neighbourhood feels we need to look at our town as a whole. Why are we destroying the things that should matter to northerners the most. There are boarded-up buildings and many already developed vacant lots like the old trailer park site behind the Lester Centre, yet we are looking to destroy existing forests to build new?
This site is not the sole option for expanding housing in our city. We feel that B.C. housing in conjunction with Lax Kw’alaams should be exploring other options that do not involve this degree of densification in any single area. That smaller affordable housing units be spread throughout the city’s various neighbourhoods to unite us all as a community.
Other concerns raised by the petition organizers included traffic issues, lack of sidewalks , a decline to property values for existing homes in the area and the overall belief that the location has not been well thought out beyond the immediate future and current housing pressures in the community.
So far, City Council has not advised when the next phase of their considerations of the rezoning required for the proposed development will take place; nor the progress of the engaged process from the proponents of the development.
The City Council members
last publicly discussed the topic in November, some forward momentum on the topic was seen in February, when the City of Prince Rupert posted the Rezoning Application notification sign along 11th Avenue East.
The petition has a point. Why not use build on any one of the number of already developed and currently unused spaces around town. Same goes for the proposed 'micro hotel' on Park. Why the reluctance on the part of these developers to make use of existing empty lots over leveling green spaces?
ReplyDeletethey are obviously looking at building on this lot because they don't own any of the other vacant lots or boarded up buildings!
Deletehttp://www.princerupert.ca/sites/default/files/bylaws/2020-12-03%20COPR_OCP_1A%2036x54%20v3.pdf
ReplyDeleteAll residents of 11th East, Sherbrooke, Brett, Alexandra, Albert, Alfred, and Montgomery should look at this link and zoom in to review the densification proposed in this area.
While in theory, it is not a bad idea to look at that area and plan for the future.
But the thought of immediately hazing a greenbelt for new development when densification and focus should align with the redesign vision will not sit well with residents.
you shoot yourself in the foot with this argument. building a multifamily residence in an existing neighborhood = densification.
Deletebuilding higher density housing does align with the redesign vision btw
Delete"Our downtown is too large" according to City Hall and Iplan.
Delete"Midtown should have the density" according to Redesign.
Yes 6 floors, 70+ units is density.
But is it the right choice to build that density outside of the downtown core in the middle of a greenbelt with no services, no sidewalks, and transit on one side of the street with no crosswalk? Or downtown where residents can enjoy all of the above?
"Discussion is the exchange of knowledge, an argument is the exchange of ignorance"
the wording of the petition reeks of the very classism that it claims to deny. affordable housing does not mean more garbage. why not just come out and say you think poor people are dirtier?
ReplyDeleteAs long as it isn't in your neighborhood right? There are a lot of lands being cleared in Prince Rupert with new houses going on them. Doesn't seem to bother you unless it's in your back yard. Entitled much?
ReplyDelete