UNCOMMON SENSE: NIMBYism turning South Delta grey
No matter where one turns, there are residents up in arms about proposed housing developments in Delta.
Perhaps not the small ones (although the townhome development in Ladner being rejected for having a green roof comes to mind), but the larger ones just can’t seem to catch a break.
I have to say, this sort of attitude boggles the mind.
Delta enjoys a unique quality of life in the Lower Mainland, in that it’s low density, largely rural, and perhaps the last place this close to Vancouver where you can still purchase acreage.
And that’s all well and good for the 1950s, but as Bob Dylan famously sang, The Times They are a-Changin’.
The Southlands development in Tsawwassen has offered a rural residential neighoburhood plan with state-of-the-art green technology, walking neighbourhoods, and even a rural management plan of the 80 per cent of the land that will be donated to the municipality.
Not good enough.
The MK Delta Lands development at Highway 91 and 72nd Avenue has offered a mixed use development with particular care and concern to Burns Bog and an offer to donate all 78 hectares of land west of Highway 91 to the conservancy.
Not good enough.
The Marina Garden Estates project offers a high density, affordable neighbourhood plan for young families and seniors to move into a waterfront area with a golf course.
Not good enough.
I’m not sure where existing residents expect the rest of the population to live. Vancouver? Richmond? Anywhere but in my own backyard.
There’s even some widespread opposition to the Corporation of Delta easing up restrictions on secondary suites and making the rental situation a little more affordable. These people are concerned about the sort of people who rent, property crime, drug abuse, and vagrancy.
Well sure, those thing are all scary-sounding, but they’re also absurd.
Like most people my age who grew up in the ‘80s and ‘90s, I’ve rented my whole life. I can’t afford to buy a house, and I sure can’t afford it when NIMBYists want to keep it that way.
But I’m no different from any homeowner. I pay my rent, I work for a living, and my taxes get collected like everybody else.
Residents in South Delta need to consider what kind of community they want. Do they want one with seniors who can afford to stay where they grew up, young families who can afford to settle here, and working class people who want to live close to their jobs?
Or do we only want gated communities of low density retirees where a minimum income is required for membership? The choice is literally up to you.
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