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Cathleen's comments about the atrocities to the environment that have occured at Campbell Heights could have easily been expanded into a book. Even her blunt harsh statements though, will have little affect on future development I fear.
I often wonder just how long it will be before Langley Township begins to look like an extension of Surrey. It only takes a little time to make observations that prove that it's happening right now. There seems to be a "Damn the torpedos" attitude at township hall and a lack of good planning is very evident.
Cathleen and Methinks, face it the Surrey Council won't do squat on campbell heights until after the Nov elections then damm the torpedos and blacktop all along our border and over our aquifer with a resultant ecological disaster for our brookswood aquifer, our rivers, our wildlife, our greenspace and Langley specifically.
Township council "Good Ole boy's Club" will predictably sit on their asses, not comprehending the scope of the disaster to befall us and even more predictively tragic, do absolutely NOTHING! Any actions as recommended in Richter's last Monday motion asking for immediate political liason/intervention between both councils will clearly be ignored once again by the boys, either out of stupidity, ignorance our as usual petty vindictiveness to any Richter suggestion or motion! No matter how right, intelligent, insightful, wise, urgent or time sensitive!
And if they do at some later date try to do something because of the horendous magnitude of the development at some later time, it will be far, far too little and definitely far too late.
I finally then predict that whoever survives this upcoming Township November election purge will definitely then lose in disgrace 3 years later for having let Campbell heights/Stokes Pit blacktopping go unchallenged. Mark my words. This Editor will go on record now to document their inactions and make sure that the voters will then know about it in both elections!
Sadly, as Richter recommended, firm Political will and action is required NOW but in my opinion the Township Mayor's bureaucratic silent slate will prevail with as said before either nothing at all or too little too late.
Let's mourn the death of the Brookswood aquifer and green spaces now because it's a done deal especially with this remedial and self serving, blind group think Township Council!
My sincere regrets and condolences in advance, to the Township residents & taxpayers & especially their Township children & grandchildren on this upcoming sincerely very grave and tragic loss. Rest in peace.
For more info see our previous slide presentation at this earlier link:
http://www.kimrichter.com/Blog/2...-nature-
or.html
For a map of the location go the following link,
http://picasaweb.google.ca/lfped...lPark/
photo#map
then select satelite view and zoom in. Look for the treed area to the east and south east area of stokes pit/ Latimer lake, it will disappear and become black topped Industrial park! By the way the Google sattelite picture has not been updated to show extensive existing Industrial park already there! Also 24th Avenue will go through the Industrial park all the way to 200th Street with Industrial park blacktopping on every side of it clearcutting the forests and pit area which could have been a glorius park not requiring tons of land purchases!
I am sick and tired of hearing from chronic complainers about a few trees cut down along 200 St. If a tree is blown down in a wind storm and damages a house, car or even injures somebody - the same whiners would run to city hall and complain that the local govmnt didn't do enough to protect us from trees too close to the road or a house.
You can't have it both ways.
About Campbell Heights Industrial Park: a few saved trees do not created needed employment - but industrial parks do. I applaude the City of Surey for planning for the future and creating jobs for our young people.
Propertyowner,
As a presumed propertyowner in Langley Township you would be expected to pay taxes. Well if Surrey continues to run rampant on their side of the border, the damage to the Brookswood aquifer could be irreversible. The resultant costs to you and I (I AM a taxpayer in Langley Township) have the potential to be ruinous.
We receive an exceptional service from the environment through the provision of clean, high-quality, potable water from the Brookswood aquifer. The replacement costs for that water have been discussed in detail on this and other web sites. Suffice it to say that you, your kids and your grandkids will be paying for it. This is why political action now is recommended. Address the water now, so you don't have to pay to address the problem later when the costs will be exponentially higher. It has been argued that Surrey is raising its tax base (through the development) at a long-term drain of the pocketbooks of the citizens of Langley Township.
Cheers,
Blair
Blair, your remarks ring all too true, but there are some like propertyowner who just can't see what they don't want to see.
...see the new clearcut on 36th ave near 206th......
......chainsaws are a hummin' and council is deaf.....Newton here we come......
KW, the clearcut that you speak of is only one of many that continue to occur within the township. I see a new one almost every week.
In a short while we will hear the details of our township council's revised water management plan. It will be mostly about controlling the use of water, but not really do anything about recharging our aquifers. With the continued loss of the trees and ground cover, the chances of nature doing the recharge are decreasing constantly. When we add to this situation the fact that the township growth plan is for a 65% increase, we are headed for a crisis if a we don't find a water source other than our aquifers. That source must have good volume as well, and can only come from the North Shore reservoirs IMO. The costs will be high, and grow higher the longer we delay.
If we continue to drain our aquifers, it will mean the gradual death of what is now the farm areas of Langley Township. This is where KW's remark ("Newton, here we come") could become a reality. ALR land that cannot support agriculture falls easily to rezoning, and then into the hands of developers.
A township politician can easily see that by pandering to the desires of residents living in the densely developed areas of the township, he or she stands a better chance of being elected. A candidate with enough vision to see Langley Township remain as beautiful and diverse as it is today, faces a difficult task just getting the attention of the so called soccer moms, and 9 to 5 workers who really hold sway when it comes to who runs township hall. A scary situation in my view, and one that has been exploited in the past.
It will take a new administration at township hall to face up to the above situation, and spending priorities are more sensibly planned. Otherwise it's only a matter of time before we become a municipality of lesser caliber than Surrey. To equal or better Surrey's standard, if indeed the township follows Surrey's pattern of population growth, would certainly involve a very heavy heavy cost to the unsuspecting home owners of the day.
I firmly believe that this year's election of township leaders is crucial to our future. I just hope that others can see this as well.
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