Editor’s note: This is a copy of a letter to District of Squamish council and staff. It was copied to the Squamish Chief for publication.
Being a resident of Clarke Drive on Hospital Hill, I’m very concerned about the proposed Kingswood
Development.
I’m afraid it’s going to have a much bigger impact on our local traffic than the developer is trying to convey. I personally have witnessed four incidents where accidents could have happened at the intersection of Guilford Drive and Behrner Drive because of traffic build up from Valleycliffe. Those four incidents have been since the District built the pump house (if that’s what it is) at that intersection. Now, impatient drivers coming up Guilford Drive to the stop sign have discovered they can quickly zip through the pump house parking lot and get on to Behrner Drive ahead of those waiting at the stop sign to do the same. As a Hospital Hill resident, you have to exercise caution both at the intersection and again after the pump house.
Like I said, it’s happened to me four times already and I don’t think the pump house has been there a year yet. In my opinion it’s an accident waiting to happen and there is also a crosswalk right there that could make the situation even more perilous. This is without adding the Crumpit Woods traffic into the scenario yet, which will be happening over the next few years. Crumpit Woods is here, so we need to adjust, but there is no sense in compounding the problem even further with the addition of the Kingswood project’s traffic. There is also a school yard right on that corner so I really feel the Kingswood developers need to go back to the drawing board on how they are going to get traffic south from their proposed location. The developer’s access issues should not be at the expense of the Hospital Hill, Crumpit Woods, Ravenswood, or Valleycliffe neighbourhoods.
I urge you to reject their latest proposal. Keep Hospital Hill the quiet neighbourhood we have all grown to love.
Glen Kary
Squamish
