The Cheema family’s recent decision to erect a fence at the end of Perth Drive to, I assume, restrict access to District Lot 509 is a significant development with major ramifications for many in our community. In Bob Cheema’s letter to the editor of Feb. 1 he clearly articulated his frustration with the, soon to be adopted Official Community Plan.
I understand Mr. Cheema’s frustration. DL 509, the 420 acre parcel to the north of the Highlands has been jinxed by an ever-changing ‘population threshold’ imposed by the District that limits development of the land.
In the current frenzied construction boom I’m sure the owner sees an opportunity and wants to take advantage while it lasts. Many would consider it a better building site than in the flood plain or on a debris flow fan requiring a 30-metre high debris flow barrier.
Furthermore, I understand the Cheemas are in preliminary discussions with community groups to ensure that the recreational values of their land are best protected.
I think this is a great direction. I don’t doubt that a conscientious developer is capable of creating a fantastic ‘trail-centric’ neighbourhood and I look forward to seeing Mr Cheema’s proposal in this respect.
On the other hand, the OCP is a document shaped with a lot of public input and is intended to serve the interests of the whole community. Doing planning in this complicated town (in terms of its geography, history and changing economy) is tough. I think that measures taken by the Planning Dept. to encourage densification, brownfield development and infill all make sense. It is all about “Smart Growth on the Ground” and it needs to be supported. The OCP has been developed in recognition of the many conflicting pressures facing the community foremost of which is pressure from developers.
The list of development projects in Squamish either underway or at the planning stage is, in my mind, almost overwhelming. I think it is too much and too fast. Prices are skyrocketing, people are leaving town, either cashing out or forced out due to unaffordability.
The scope of the Waterfront Landing and the SODC projects alone is enormous and there are a many other projects, chomping at the bit to get going, too numerous to list. The last thing the community needs rights now is additional development pressures.
The Cheema lands include access to Jack’s Trail and Mashiter Trail, the ONLY corridors to the Alice Lake recreation area and beyond. I would estimate there are at least 1,000 individual users/week at the Perth Drive access point alone. If I know Squamish trail users, any attempt to close off that important access will be breached in no time. Instead of threatening closures Mr. Cheema should be working with the community to develop a plan that demonstrates, as they say in planning, ‘extraordinary benefit.’ Extraordinary enough to warrant a change to an OCP that is just coming into effect after years of hard work.
Jim Harvey
Squamish
