The proposed parkland to be turned into Housing was NOT part of the Official Community Plan!
Hello everyone,
I imagine many of you received the same response from Mayor Crompton (see below)? To date, none of the other decision-makers contacted through the petition platform have responded.
While Mayor Crompton calls the application for rezoning parkland to housing "a key motivation for this conversation is exploring opportunities to help create a more complete community at Cheakamus Crossing" Mayor Crompton describes the proposed Official Community Plan (OCP) amendment as an opportunity to "explore opportunities to help create a more complete community at Cheakamus Crossing." I appreciate that Council has finally acknowledged what residents have been saying for years—that our infrastructure has not kept pace with the explosive growth of our neighbourhood.
Yes, we need a grocery store. Yes, we need more parking, better services, and more housing. I am not against housing.
What I am against is sacrificing more parkland to achieve it. Parkland that was NOT included in the Official Community Plan for more housing!
Whether the tennis and basketball courts are relocated is beside the point. Residents want this parkland to remain parkland. Once green space is lost, it is gone forever.
There is already disturbed and excavated land near the Train Wreck trail that should be explored for future development before taking away one of the few remaining green spaces in Cheakamus Crossing.
If we are planning for a larger community, then we also need the infrastructure to support it. We need a second access route into and out of Cheakamus Crossing. With increasing wildfire risk, relying on a single exit is a serious concern for residents. Even on a normal day, traffic congestion within the neighbourhood and onto Highway 99 can be challenging. Infrastructure must keep pace with growth.
Mayor Crompton also states that "Cheakamus needs more recreation, not less." I agree. However, recreation should reflect the needs of the people who live here. Families want accessible parks, green spaces, and amenities that enhance our neighbourhood. Replacing existing parkland with development—even if recreation is relocated elsewhere—is not the same as preserving the open space that makes this community special.
Mayor Crompton also emphasizes that Council is not considering rezoning at this stage, but rather an amendment to the Official Community Plan.
Our message is simple: We do not want the Official Community Plan changed to allow this parkland to become a future development site.
He states "The OCP is the long-term vision for our community. Changing it is the first step toward future development." If this parkland is redesignated today, it becomes much easier to develop tomorrow.
We have more than 600 signatures—and the number continues to grow. That is a clear indication that residents care deeply about protecting this parkland. How is that for "public input" Mayor Crompton and council?
Mayor Crompton and Council, please listen to the people who live in this community. We support thoughtful growth, more housing, and improved amenities—but not at the expense of irreplaceable parkland.
Please keep this land as parkland for today's residents and for future generations.
E mail from Mayor Crompton
Hello Ms Moeller,
Thanks for writing. We will have a full conversation about the input we have received at our meeting this Tuesday at 5:30 pm. Everyone is welcome to attend.
In the meantime, I hope the following provides some clarification. Here is what I shared on Facebook:
A key motivation for this conversation is exploring opportunities to help create a more complete community at Cheakamus Crossing. Council has consistently heard the need for more neighbourhood amenities (grocery, food and beverage, daycare, and other neighbourhood-serving uses). An Official Community Plan (OCP) amendment would be an opportunity to explore these possibilities as part of long-term planning, alongside housing, recreation, and community amenities.
The existing tennis and basketball courts are not proposed to disappear. Staff have identified relocating these facilities into Bayly Park as part of a long-term vision to improve and expand recreation opportunities, not reduce them. The existing courts would remain in place until replacement facilities are constructed. Cheakamus needs more recreation, not less.
Another important clarification: Council is not considering a rezoning at this stage. We are considering an amendment to the Official Community Plan (OCP), which provides the long-term vision for what may be considered in the future. Any zoning changes, which determine what can actually be built, would come later through a separate public process with further opportunities for public input.
Tuesday is the beginning of the "long term vision" (OCP) conversation, not the end. Staff will help explain what is and is not being considered at this stage. We may ultimately decide the downsides outweigh the upsides, but we just don't have the information we need to make that decision in an informed way, yet.
I’m always happy to chat on 604-388-9588.
Warmly,
Jack Crompton - Mayor